There are quite a few logical justifications for not molesting Steem witnesses, yes - but as you point to, there are clearly those 'actors' in society who will attempt to leverage just about any angle to turn public opinion and legislation against both cryptocurrency and actually also against real free speech.. For those reasons I think it is necessary to have the 'legal' situation clearly defined for witnesses in the event that it becomes necessary as a result of aggressive action of some kind against us. At the very least, a clear legal statement will give reassurance to investors.