Tasteless yes, criminal? Really?

[Audley Strange]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22821484

Dumb bint makes bad joke on twitter, gets shitstorm in response, goes to police, is arrested for bad joke, gets 200 hours community service.

Fuckin' hell.

Also.

[Trinity]

I bet her dad gives her what for

[Tyrannical]

Certainly grounds for deportation.

[devogue]

cghvjvjghv

[Seth]

Holy fuck!

Chairman of the bench, Nigel Orton, told her she could have been jailed for the tweet but magistrates accepted she had not known it was a soldier who had been killed when she sent it.

"The tragic events in Woolwich that day have created a context which made this tweet appear extreme," he said.

"It had a huge impact and clearly caused offence and distress. We accept you didn't intend to cause harm and you felt it was a joke.

"Your act was naive and foolish and without regard to the general public at a time of heightened sensitivity."

It's a fucking CRIME to be "insensitive" to the general public in the UK.

Somebody, anybody, nuke that idiotic place before the infection spreads.

[Jason]

Yes. That's some twisted totalitarian bullshit right there.

[Robert_S]

Holy fuck!

Chairman of the bench, Nigel Orton, told her she could have been jailed for the tweet but magistrates accepted she had not known it was a soldier who had been killed when she sent it.

"The tragic events in Woolwich that day have created a context which made this tweet appear extreme," he said.

"It had a huge impact and clearly caused offence and distress. We accept you didn't intend to cause harm and you felt it was a joke.

"Your act was naive and foolish and without regard to the general public at a time of heightened sensitivity."

It's a fucking CRIME to be "insensitive" to the general public in the UK.

Somebody, anybody, nuke that idiotic place before the infection spreads.

And what about the people who threatened to rape and/or kill her? What about the arson threats? Are those going to be prosecuted?

[Rum]

Holy fuck!

Chairman of the bench, Nigel Orton, told her she could have been jailed for the tweet but magistrates accepted she had not known it was a soldier who had been killed when she sent it.

"The tragic events in Woolwich that day have created a context which made this tweet appear extreme," he said.

"It had a huge impact and clearly caused offence and distress. We accept you didn't intend to cause harm and you felt it was a joke.

"Your act was naive and foolish and without regard to the general public at a time of heightened sensitivity."

It's a fucking CRIME to be "insensitive" to the general public in the UK.

Somebody, anybody, nuke that idiotic place before the infection spreads.

What a fucking stupid thing to say.

[Jason]

Hyperbole, I'm sure, but do you find this acceptable? Being convicted of what is essentially hurting someone's feelings that is.

[Rum]

No I don't. It was stupid to criminalise it.

[PsychoSerenity]

Hyperbole, I'm sure, but do you find this acceptable? Being convicted of what is essentially hurting someone's feelings that is.

Generally I would consider freedom of speech to be one of the highest priorities, but rather than take an absolute position on this sort of question, I'd take a consequentialist one, admitting that there may be cases where it's better for free speech to be restricted. It's a very grey area and I think it depends a great deal on the platform that the speaker holds. The trouble is it's still a very new thing that any individual can have such a large platform, and I think it will take a while for any justice system to find a balance that cuts down abuse without excessive limitation of freedom.

In this case it's not correct to describe it as "essentially hurting someone's feelings". Considering someone had just been beheaded, a call for more beheadings was seriously stirring shit up, increasing animosity and probably the number of EDL idiots rioting in the streets.

[Jason]

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. "

[PsychoSerenity]

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. "

To the death. See that's the problem for me. I'd rather keep quiet than have people dying for the sake of a few words.

[Jason]

Those are the words of Evelyn Beatrice Hall (often misattribued to Voltaire).

Freedom of speech is the foundation of a free society. When you start giving ground on that front it can only be an indicator of bad things. IMO of course.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Holy fuck!

Chairman of the bench, Nigel Orton, told her she could have been jailed for the tweet but magistrates accepted she had not known it was a soldier who had been killed when she sent it.

"The tragic events in Woolwich that day have created a context which made this tweet appear extreme," he said.

"It had a huge impact and clearly caused offence and distress. We accept you didn't intend to cause harm and you felt it was a joke.

"Your act was naive and foolish and without regard to the general public at a time of heightened sensitivity."

It's a fucking CRIME to be "insensitive" to the general public in the UK.

Somebody, anybody, nuke that idiotic place before the infection spreads.

What a fucking stupid thing to say.

Hey! Be nice to our pet troll.