I believe there is an obvious reason that strongly supports the absence of an edit button in Twitter (What is the fuss over Twitter's 'missing' edit button?, May 10).

Twitter without an edit button deters people from expressing themselves impulsively, with potentially disastrous consequences.

If we want free speech to flourish, we must have responsible speech, meaning that people must be held accountable for what they say.

Without an edit button, Twitter, as a mass communication platform, will not censure free speech but it can ensure accountable speech.

Thomas Lee Hock Seng (Dr)