I’ve never been a fan of Laura Schlessinger, or Dr. Laura as she’s known, but I’ve never particularly disliked her. She has just kind of been there, a name I’d hear on occasion in connection with social commentary.

Anyway, the longtime radio host apparently used the n-word repeatedly last week and, obviously, stirred up controversy. She has repeatedly apologized for her remarks but it’s not enough — she has decided to end her radio career.

Which is all fine. I can understand deciding to call it quits after decades on the air rather than hash-out an incident you’ll never be able to apologize for sufficiently. What I don’t understand is her stated reason for quitting.

The announcement by the host of the “Dr. Laura” program was a stunning denouement after a week in which Schlessinger was widely criticized for describing an African American caller to her program as “hypersensitive” for taking offense at a neighbor’s racial taunting. To illustrate her claim of a racial double standard, she said that black comedians often use the N-word on TV without criticism, but the word is forbidden for white people. She used the racial epithet, unexpurgated, 11 times in five minutes, despite her caller’s protests.

Schlessinger later apologized for the remarks, saying she said “the wrong thing” on the air. On Tuesday she went further: During an interview on “Larry King Live” on CNN, Schlessinger said, “My contract is up for my radio show at the end of the year, and I’ve made the decision not to do radio anymore.”

She added: “The reason is, I want to regain my First Amendment rights. I want to be able to say what’s on my mind and in my heart and what I think is helpful and useful without somebody getting angry, some special-interest group deciding this is the time to silence a voice of dissent and attack affiliates, attack sponsors. I’m sort of done with that.”

I’m tired of hearing an invocation of the First Amendment whenever someone draws criticism for a remark. The First Amendment does not now and never has meant a freedom from criticism — it’s a guarantee that the government will not silence your speech.  That’s all.

Schlessinger never lost her First amendment rights. She voluntarily entered into a contract — a contract for which she was evidently paid well — to provide her commentary on the radio. Schlessinger decided to use the n-word and drew criticism. Now she has decided to retire.

At what point were her First Amendment rights revoked? She spoke her mind freely and so did her critics. That was an exercise in free speech — not a restriction of it.