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comment by user-inactivated
user-inactivated  ·  4277 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The Eternal Value of Privacy

That Wikipedia page you linked seems more pointed to social issues (segregation, abortion, etc). It certainly doesn't apply in the cut and dry manner that you suggest; anyone who thinks that making it illegal to cause public panic is a good idea loses all credibility.





user-inactivated  ·  4277 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    It certainly doesn't apply in the cut and dry manner that you suggest; anyone who suggests that making it illegal to cause public panic is a good idea loses all credibility.

Causing public panic by, for example, writing pamphlets against the draft.

user-inactivated  ·  4276 days ago  ·  link  ·  

...causing public panic by yelling 'fire' in a theater or 'bomb' in an airport.

Look, if everyone thought the same way as I did, I would say chuck the Constitution out and let's apply common sense! But they don't, and we can't. So sometimes we need laws about things like what you can say in a public place. This is a pity, but it is what it has to be.

And yes, I agree by and large with the clear and present danger test. Do I like it every time? No. Do I acknowledge it has to exist? Yes.