in_the_media

Allentown Morning Call - August 6, 2010

Media Outlet: 

Allentown Morning Call



The controversy over a carnival game in which players shot darts at an image resembling President Obama has left many people wondering: When does free speech become a threat? Free speech, according to a legal standard, ends when there is a clear and present danger to someone. Otherwise, people can say or express what they want, so long as they don't break any other laws. "The fact that it's disrespectful is not enough to shut somebody up," said David Kairys, a professor at Temple's Beasley School of Law. "We should address why people thought it was fun to throw darts at Barack Obama. But I don't think it's good for us to be using the law to stop people from doing such things."