The US concept of Freedom of Speech is freedom from government retaliation against your speech

No, it isn't. The First Amendment protects you from government retaliation, free speech is the concept upon which that amendment is founded, and is necessary to the survival of a healthy, democratic society in which the free exchange of ideas is allowed.

It's getting real old seeing kiddies and redditors making the argument that things are only bad when the government do them, because it absolves the people who make up society from any responsibility in upholding the values upon which their nation is founded. The only reason why this meme of Free Speech only being an issue of Governmental abuse is popular with the reddit and under 30 crowd, is because their views are currently popular. If 40 years ago you were getting shit on for speaking for LGBT rights, or abortion, or whatever else may have been unpopular, you wouldn't be making an argument that because it was not the government attempting to stifle your speech, it's perfectly fine.

This is an argument that crops up repeatedly, and if you think that Free Speech is a concept that Americans invented, or that it's only an issue when the government stifles it, then I'd like to see how you feel about private entities inflicting cruel and unusual punishment. No only does it violate the spirit of the amendment, but it gives a level of authority, power, and morality to the government that to be quite frank, it should not have. Regardless of any of that, a government is still made of its people, and a people who cannot hold themselves to the same standards to which they hold their elected officials are not deserving of those liberties which they consider themselves privileged to.