On Sunday, at least 1.5 million people marched through Paris in a dramatic display of solidarity after extremists killed 12 people at the offices of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and four at a kosher grocery last week. A police officer also was fatally shot.

It was a remarkable rally, and particularly striking was the number of world leaders present. More than 50 nations from all corners of the world were represented, "Charlie, Charlie, freedom of speech!” became the cry of the day.

Despite the laudable show of unity, many observers couldn't help but bristle at the hypocritical presence of some world leaders. Although they were publicly lending their support to free speech at the rally in France, at home they often stifled that very same free speech. As Marc Lynch, a professor at George Washington University, put it:
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