In recent weeks, two of the legal scholars I most admire--Cass Sunstein and Eric Posner--have independently called for possible limitations on the scope of First Amendment protection in light of the dangers posed to the United States by online radicalization messages directed at Americans.

Although I certainly understand the concerns driving these suggestions, it is essential that we resist the temptation to restrict our most fundamental freedoms in moment of panic. This is not to say that our nation's security is not important or that preventing terrorist attacks is not a critical goal. But it is to say that this is not an appropriate way to protect ourselves.

At the core of these concerns is the fear that if ISIS supporters are free to encourage others to join their ranks and to launch terrorist attacks against the United States, we will be less safe than if we could make it a crime for individuals to promote such messages. This is a credible fear. But a credible fear is not a sufficient justification for jettisoning hard-bought constitutional rights.

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