"But you conveniently forget the second part, don't you?"
Here's a conceptual clue, Doc.
No, I didn't forget the second part.
Know why?
Because those people who believe that everyone's rights are absolute aren't the bastard arseholes I'm talking about.
Notice the dichotomy that I laid out in my post?
The "Me God, you fecal matter of the lowest order" stance taken by some people as a defense of their rights?
"Rights do not have to be "balanced against the rights of another individual." If there is a conflict someone is in the wrong."
So, in other words, you agree with the Supreme Court that speech defined as hate speech isn't a protected right under the First Amendment? I suppose that's why courts have been struggling with that particular issue for going on 40 years now.
"However, I am curious about that statement about the Founders never considering any right to be absolute. How would that fit in with the 2nd Amendment?"
While the framers gave us the 2nd Amendment, some of the framers also gave us laws that restricted possession of firearms in some states. Free slaves, for example. Free men under the law were forbidden from owning firearms in a number of states. There were also laws in some states early on that prohibited possession of firearms in churchs. Both would appear to be, on their face, infringements on the 2nd Amendment.
"I freely and openly confess to doing so, but only because I've lived in, and will continue to live in locations where neighbors still have common sense and display courtesy for each other."
That's certainly a noble aim, one which I hope you're able to achieve. What happens, though, when you finally land in your dream home and in a year or two you get a new neighbor who decides to open a pig farm, a smelter, or some other incredibly invasive activity on his property, one that could likely have a dramatic impact on the value of your property? At that point, whose right in property is absolute? And yes, the right of personal activities on private property is one that shows up repeatedly in the courts.