It`s now a crime to post vulgar insults on Police Dept. Facebook page

[squarecut1]

True, but that requires common sense...and apparently this particular department thinks that instilling fear of being hunted down and arrested works better at stifling dissenters. Think about it, this man had to hire an attorney, go through a conviction and jail time, then go through an appeals process to get a higher court to overturn said conviction. Most people who witness this will be less willing to say anything negative or offensive on that departments facebook page. So the desired result is stiffled speech. In the end that department got what they wanted.

Yes another example of when we think justice has been done, it hasn't been done. Damage is done. Such is the world we live in. This is a very small and rather insignificant example of it

 

[Scotteq]

Facebook?

Delete the comment and ignore the user. Problem solved.

True, but that requires common sense...and apparently this particular department thinks that instilling fear of being hunted down and arrested works better at stifling dissenters. Think about it, this man had to hire an attorney, go through a conviction and jail time, then go through an appeals process to get a higher court to overturn said conviction. Most people who witness this will be less willing to say anything negative or offensive on that departments facebook page. So the desired result is stiffled speech. In the end that department got what they wanted.

Yes - And they did so by acting exactly like the kinds of people the Facebook poster said they were... :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

Guess that's one way to prove a point!

 

[zinfamous]

Appropriate consequence = people who read your facebook comments think you are a pathetic human being and shun you.

Inappropriate and unconstitutional consequence = the government seeks to impose official sanctions upon you for undesired speech.

well, not exactly, but that's not at all what happened in the end. Here you have a bunch of dingbats that thought it in their power to do this, but were then bitchslapped by the branch of government whose responsibility is to keep other parts of government from doing such things.

The court exists for many reasons, and this is one of its most important--to keep bad government in check. It is understood by most that the government isn't going to behave properly all of the time, or that society changes and so, too, its laws need to evolve with society. Hence our constitution--which was designed to adapt--and hence the courts that exist to interpret that constitution.

 

[SlickSnake]

Unbelievable, but really not surprising at all in the current fascist political climate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arena,_Wisconsin

2010 census

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 834 people, 323 households, and 220 families residing in the village. The population density was 725.2 inhabitants per square mile (280.0 /km2). There were 354 housing units at an average density of 307.8 per square mile (118.8 /km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.8% White, 0.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.

I'm betting the person they prosecuted was black, but I still can't confirm this fact.

 

[Pipeline 1010]

The point is that our actions have consequences. Just because you feel that you should have "the right" to do something, does not mean that you do and that there won't be a price to pay.

I'm not sure why you have the words "the right" in quotes. This person literally had the actual right to do what he did. Not "quote-y" rights...ACTUAL RIGHTS. What "consequences" should somebody face for doing something that is not only completely legal, but also enshrined as a God-given right in the constitution? Did he hurt anything other than giving a boo-boo to some police man's fragile ego? What consequences do you recommend for giving somebody a boo-boo on their ego? Jail? Financial penalties? Community service? Death? Sorry if this post gave you a boo-boo on your ego. I can only hope you don't try to file CRIMINAL charges against me, since you think that is the proper consequence of internet words.

In other words, people need to grow up. There is a huge difference between maintaining a civil society and China or Russia.

Um... it seems like "growing up" would be NOT to file criminal charges that could have long-lasting consequences to somebody's freedom and financial future. What kind of mature grown-up does that to somebody over words? When somebody says words I don't like, I either tell them off or ignore them since I am a grownup. I think the "huge difference between maintaining a civil society and China or Russia" would be NOT sending someone to jail over words. Would you really file criminal charges against someone who said those words to you on the internets?

 

[Pipeline 1010]

Appropriate consequence = people who read your facebook comments think you are a pathetic human being and shun you.

Inappropriate and unconstitutional consequence = the government seeks to impose official sanctions upon you for undesired speech.

I couldn't have said it better.

 

[KK]

Post a four letter word in a thread title here and watch what happens.

• If you're newer with a good record you'll probably be given the benefit of the doubt and just be told to change the title.
• Your title may be changed for you.
• You may be infracted and/or banned if you are a serial rule breaker.

The point is that our actions have consequences. Just because you feel that you should have "the right" to do something, does not mean that you do and that there won't be a price to pay. In other words, people need to grow up. There is a huge difference between maintaining a civil society and China or Russia.

You are a moron if you think that "your right" to do something has consequences that involves the police overstepping their bounds.