by Ted Sherman

Created on: February 12, 2007   Last Updated: December 09, 2008

The thoughtless and dangerous ad campaign fits an oft-quoted phrase. Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes warned that ''the most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a crowded theater and causing panic'' (Schenck v. United States, 1919). If the plan was not deliberate to cause panic, which is still under scrutiny by law officials for possible criminal charges, it showed a shocking lack of concern for public safety in a time of war.

Whether you're a smirking, clever ad writer or a soldier risking his life in the war zone, there's a responsibility for all American citizens to protect their country from sudden attack. It happened with mass murder on 12/7/41 and 9/11/91, and will certainly happen again when enemies have the means to do it. And in the time leading up to their next attack, they will gain encouragement from incidents that cause panic and show how vulnerable America can be. In the case of the Boston false scare, what may be a terribly inappropriate joke to some people is just one more way to help those enemies achieve their goals.

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