Tommy More, Freedom-of-Speech Good Guy

In a way, I'm only posting about enlightened 16th Century statesman (and lawyer/writer/humanist/scholar - phew, the Toffs really took advantage of their, erm, well, advantage, back in those days) Thomas More as a sort of mental note of public record to track down and buy his book Utopia.

He was a true pioneer of freedom of speech, even standing up to Henry VIII (who was patently not a pioneer of freedom of speech) over the matter. A man of principle, he refused to attend the coronation of Anne Boleyn, and refused to take an oath which incorporated anti-papal rhetoric (quite the staunch Catholic, was old Tommy Boy).

I mean, he was hung for all of this. But they made him a saint. That was later on though. A long, long time after his neck had snapped and his bowels and bladder emptied down his dangling legs (you know, from the loss of bodily control).