British man convicted for a twitter joke (7 Viewers)

[Red]

I only have a dig at them when it's an unjustified act they're making, I've no problem what so ever with your country and the constitution. It's just the working of the laws on the ground is what I've sometimes a problem with.

I don't agree with this decision, but it is legally justifiable. It just shows a lack of common sense from one judge.

Scottish courts tend to be more sensible than English ones, I think.

I only mentioned that incident since Britain reacted the same way America did with the Qura'n burning madness that erupted a couple of months ago, by defending people's freedom of speech and claiming that was categorized under it but at the same time warning of the sequences of such an act and condemning such an action if it actually happens.

How has Britain reacted the same?

There was no public outcry about this case in Britain, but the authorities did seek a conviction.

There was huge public outcry in the US about the Qur'an burning, but they did not seek to prosecute the individual.


Just because people are, in theory, allowed to say anything, doesn't mean they should. That is why, for instance, inciting racial hatred is a crime.

I don't think that that is an unreasonable limit on free speech.

 

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That is why, for instance, inciting racial hatred is a crime.

I don't think that that is an unreasonable limit on free speech.

That's illegal in Scotland? Its not in the U.S.

 

[Red]

Right, I've actually bothered to read a little about this case now and it's just utter shit by the authorities who have clearly decided that they were going to jump at the next chance they got to bring a case against someone who made any sort of threat publicly online.

They couldn't even get the guy under any sort of anti-terrorism legislation. They got him using:

"...a law aimed against nuisance calls – originally to protect "female telephonists at the Post Office" in the 1930s – rather than specific bomb hoax legislation, which requires stronger evidence of intent."


It's also really, really pathetic that the judges in both the original case and the appeal have deemed what he said to be 'menacing' and sounds exactly the sort of thing that happens all to frequently when a judge has little or no idea about what is actually deemed normal by the public at large.

I really hope that the guy appeals again and wins, not for the sake of him or this case particularly, but to avoid this dangerous precendent being set.

 

[Red]

That's illegal in Scotland? Its not in the U.S.

Yeah, think it's covered in the Race Relations Act.

Edit -

It's actually covered by the Public Order Act 1986:

This offence refers to:

* deliberately provoking hatred of a racial group
* distributing racist material to the public
* making inflammatory public speeches
* creating racist websites on the Internet
* inciting inflammatory rumours about an individual or an ethnic group, for the purpose of spreading racial discontent.

 

[swag]

Is it OK to tweet "fire" in a theater?

Or tweeting "Michael Vick is eating out Donovan McNabb's anus with a power-sander" at FedEx field?

I'm all for common sense. But what I'm against are self-entitled pricks who think they are at the center of the universe and that the rest of us all are just puppets here for their amusement. Clearly there were people at least as inconvenienced as this retard, and yet none of them had to make public postings threatening to blow up the place.

And when does one take such a public message seriously and when do they not? The public risk is massive if we treat all bomb threats as mostly jokes. And all because this guy wanted to be smug and act as if he was the only person in the airport inconvenienced, and screw everyone else around him. Maybe the risk to public safety was exceptionally low, but clearly the public's safety didn't even register while this guy wallowed in his holier-than-thou self-pity.

That same mentality is behind every guy who runs into a building and kills 14 complete strangers with a shotgun because their wife left them. All those dead bodies are just pawns in his video game of a life.

The guy who twitches and says, "I'm going to kill my wife" would be hilarious entertainment if not for the fact that there are plenty of cases where people actually follow through on the threat. You apprehend the guy, and it's overreacting. But when the guy actually kills his wife, the finger-pointing and the head-smacking comes out like people were idiots to completely ignore the signs. The world is full of a lot of sick, crazy people.

Man, if I was next to this guy in the airport, I would bash his face in for being such a self-centered, ego-centric prick.

 

[JBF]

How has Britain reacted the same?

There was no public outcry about this case in Britain, but the authorities did seek a conviction.

There was huge public outcry in the US about the Qur'an burning, but they did not seek to prosecute the individual.

I actually remember watching on T.V protests from the Islamic groups in Britain along with many civil rights activists. There were plenty of those. But I think you're right in the U.S it was stronger and eventually more effective.

Just because people are, in theory, allowed to say anything, doesn't mean they should. That is why, for instance, inciting racial hatred is a crime.

I don't think that that is an unreasonable limit on free speech.

No doubt about that. And that is listed under the category of violence-starting actions no? It's for that reason and because it's immoral that it's forbidden IMO and that should apply to an action of the same category as lets say burning the Qur'an.

 

[Martin]

Is it OK to tweet "fire" in a theater?

Or tweeting "Michael Vick is eating out Donovan McNabb's anus with a power-sander" at FedEx field?

I'm all for common sense. But what I'm against are self-entitled pricks who think they are at the center of the universe and that the rest of us all are just puppets here for their amusement. Clearly there were people at least as inconvenienced as this retard, and yet none of them had to make public postings threatening to blow up the place.

And when does one take such a public message seriously and when do they not? The public risk is massive if we treat all bomb threats as mostly jokes. And all because this guy wanted to be smug and act as if he was the only person in the airport inconvenienced, and screw everyone else around him. Maybe the risk to public safety was exceptionally low, but clearly the public's safety didn't even register while this guy wallowed in his holier-than-thou self-pity.

That same mentality is behind every guy who runs into a building and kills 14 complete strangers with a shotgun because their wife left them. All those dead bodies are just pawns in his video game of a life.

The guy who twitches and says, "I'm going to kill my wife" would be hilarious entertainment if not for the fact that there are plenty of cases where people actually follow through on the threat. You apprehend the guy, and it's overreacting. But when the guy actually kills his wife, the finger-pointing and the head-smacking comes out like people were idiots to completely ignore the signs. The world is full of a lot of sick, crazy people.

Man, if I was next to this guy in the airport, I would bash his face in for being such a self-centered, ego-centric prick.

That was heavy, G. I'm gonna rest now.

 

[Luca]

I've just woke up give me some time and I'll try and apply the English law to it (well what I've learnt so far)

 

[Bjerknes]

Is it OK to tweet "fire" in a theater?

Or tweeting "Michael Vick is eating out Donovan McNabb's anus with a power-sander" at FedEx field?

I'm all for common sense. But what I'm against are self-entitled pricks who think they are at the center of the universe and that the rest of us all are just puppets here for their amusement. Clearly there were people at least as inconvenienced as this retard, and yet none of them had to make public postings threatening to blow up the place.

And when does one take such a public message seriously and when do they not? The public risk is massive if we treat all bomb threats as mostly jokes. And all because this guy wanted to be smug and act as if he was the only person in the airport inconvenienced, and screw everyone else around him. Maybe the risk to public safety was exceptionally low, but clearly the public's safety didn't even register while this guy wallowed in his holier-than-thou self-pity.

That same mentality is behind every guy who runs into a building and kills 14 complete strangers with a shotgun because their wife left them. All those dead bodies are just pawns in his video game of a life.

The guy who twitches and says, "I'm going to kill my wife" would be hilarious entertainment if not for the fact that there are plenty of cases where people actually follow through on the threat. You apprehend the guy, and it's overreacting. But when the guy actually kills his wife, the finger-pointing and the head-smacking comes out like people were idiots to completely ignore the signs. The world is full of a lot of sick, crazy people.

Man, if I was next to this guy in the airport, I would bash his face in for being such a self-centered, ego-centric prick.

Well, I hope you like having some pervert feel up your wife when you fly. I think it's pretty absurd how the entire West has become so pussified that every single remark is taken as a terroristic threat, even when it is obviously meant as a joke. Just read the guy's Tweet. I mean, seriously? You feel threatened by that? His supposed "threat" was about on the same level as seen on this forum, with folks claiming they will "kill themselves" if we lose to Roma.

And besides, isn't there enough security at the airport already, guarding against this sort of thing? Or would you rather have everyone body scanned prior to entering the terminal as well?

This is simply the pussification of the West. The terrorists have won, all you losers are performing fellatio on OBL every single day of your life. Pretty sad shit. And hey, despite the police state facts, you'll still get the random, drugged up moron without a Passport cleared to fly on a plane towards Detroit, so keep bowing down to your masters.

Bunch of fucking pussies in this nation.

 

[Bjerknes]

Right, I've actually bothered to read a little about this case now and it's just utter shit by the authorities who have clearly decided that they were going to jump at the next chance they got to bring a case against someone who made any sort of threat publicly online.

They couldn't even get the guy under any sort of anti-terrorism legislation. They got him using:

"...a law aimed against nuisance calls – originally to protect "female telephonists at the Post Office" in the 1930s – rather than specific bomb hoax legislation, which requires stronger evidence of intent."


It's also really, really pathetic that the judges in both the original case and the appeal have deemed what he said to be 'menacing' and sounds exactly the sort of thing that happens all to frequently when a judge has little or no idea about what is actually deemed normal by the public at large.

I really hope that the guy appeals again and wins, not for the sake of him or this case particularly, but to avoid this dangerous precendent being set.

If this precedent is set, MILLIONS of folks will be brought in under the suspicion of "terrorism". It's fucking bullshit.

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

Well, I hope you like having some pervert feel up your wife when you fly. I think it's pretty absurd how the entire West has become so pussified that every single remark is taken as a terroristic threat, even when it is obviously meant as a joke. Just read the guy's Tweet. I mean, seriously? You feel threatened by that? His supposed "threat" was about on the same level as seen on this forum, with folks claiming they will "kill themselves" if we lose to Roma.

And besides, isn't there enough security at the airport already, guarding against this sort of thing? Or would you rather have everyone body scanned prior to entering the terminal as well?

This is simply the pussification of the West. The terrorists have won, all you losers are performing fellatio on OBL every single day of your life. Pretty sad shit. And hey, despite the police state facts, you'll still get the random, drugged up moron without a Passport cleared to fly on a plane towards Detroit, so keep bowing down to your masters.

Bunch of fucking pussies in this nation.

 

[Fred]

If he was Muslim he would of been given a free house and eternal citizenship in Britain.

No wonder we get visa's so easily to Britain.. oh wait

Silly conviction, but stupid to post such a thing in first place in these times.

JBF's intentions with this thread are quite funny however. While the concept of free speech in Britain (or anywhere else for that matter) may not be perfect, you can hardly compare a fine for a possible bomb threat towards an airport, to say, execution for making fun of religion.

Except JBF didn't compare Britain to Jordan or any other Arab country, you were the one that brought that up.


In all cases, i too believe most Western European countries are a bunch of hypocrites.

 

[Azzurri7]

Silly conviction, but stupid to post such a thing in first place in these times.

JBF's intentions with this thread are quite funny however. While the concept of free speech in Britain (or anywhere else for that matter) may not be perfect, you can hardly compare a fine for a possible bomb threat towards an airport, to say, execution for making fun of religion.

Where did he compare Britain to any Arab country? Or are you just making this up from your head?

 

[Nicholas]

I wonder why these clowns were not convicted? Oh wait they're Muslims god forbid we upset the Muslims.

 

[Nicholas]

No wonder we get visa's so easily to Britain.. oh wait

In another 10 years it's predicted 33% of the population will be Muslims. Yes you guys do get Visa's easily, yes Muslims are treated above society and yes Muslims can never do anything wrong.

 

[Fred]

Hopefully your beloved BNP win the next elections, then maybe the muslims would get what they deserve, ey?

 

[Fred]

In another 10 years it's predicted 33% of the population will be Muslims. Yes you guys do get Visa's easily, yes Muslims are treated above society and yes Muslims can never do anything wrong.

Your conversion is very welcome if you really believe that.

 

[Nicholas]

Just want everyone to be treated equally in Society which the Working White British man is not. Were quickly becoming a second class citizen and it's wrong.

 

[Fred]

Just want everyone to be treated equally in Society which the Working White British man is not. Were quickly becoming a second class citizen and it's wrong.

So the White man is the victim in Britain now huh?

 

[Nicholas]

The Working Class White man is. Yes. Do me a favour Fred, get a flight to the UK and come to Manchester I'll show you what I witness first hand. Then maybe it'll open your eyes abit more.