Free speech is the point because if the government decided that expressing a political opinion counted as provocation in an assault or battery charge, this would probably violate the first amendment. Legally the issue is around assault and battery, but the underlying issue is freedom of speech.

"The first amendment doesn't protect you from blowback and it's not supposed to."

Correct that is what the criminal code, and the fascist police, are for.

"Freedom of speech is not freedom from criticism."

This discussion is about violence, not criticism.

"However if you consider freedom of speech an issue between citizens, wouldn't the right to bear arms be the greatest enemy of freedom of speech? Seems like "an armed society is a polite society" is a recipe for a society where nobody speaks their mind for fear of losing their life..."

Possibly though I haven't heard of someone getting shot for expressing an opinion. Most people are afraid to go to jail for murder, while leftists who push and shove rarely even get charged.