Kerry also took the opportunity to plug a New England clothing line after one audience member complimented him on his pink tie. A graduate of the noted St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire and Yale University, Kerry extolled the sartorial virtues of Vineyard Vines, a Connecticut purveyor of — in its own description — ‘‘preppy’’ clothes that has a pink whale for a logo.

‘‘I don’t own any stock in the company,’’ he said to laughter.



< snip - He also spoke of the value of freedom of speech - even when stupid:>

Kerry urged Germans to be tolerant of all points of view and noted that in America ‘‘you have a right to be stupid.’’ He said tolerance of unpopular, offensive or otherwise objectionable views was a virtue and ‘‘something worth fighting for.’’