All this talk about Free Speech and suppression....I'm all for free speech. I did my part and fought for free speech. But free speech on a boat is just like free speech in the military...Forget about it. The only one who has free speech on a vessel is the Captain. But Captains are like anyone else in the chain of command...they can be a-holes where their opinion is the only one that matters, or they can be open to new ideas and input. Ultimately, they are accountable for everything that happens while you're aboard their boat. What some Captains don't understand is that while they are the final authority, they are also beholden to the customers. Because without customers, there are no captains.
But disregard a Captain's directive, and you may find that if you want to dive with him/her again, the spots are all full, or your calls go unreturned, etc...Most of us who work on a boat don't like confrontation with customers, and most times we'll back down if it's a small thing so as not to embarrass anyone. Then we'll shake your hand as we help you off the boat, and remember your name so we don't book you again.
After all, when I go into someone's home, I honor their customs and courtesies. I don't have to adopt their beliefs, I just have to adopt a small amount of respect, whether I agree with them or not.