[url=http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2014/06/05/facebook-troll-jailed-for-posting-he-was-glad-teacher-was-murdered/]Daily reminder that you may think that the 1st Amendment will protect your right to say anything you want, but it really doesn't.[/url]
[quote]A Facebook troll who posted disgusting messages about the classroom killing of a much-loved UK teacher, Ann Maguire, has been jailed for six weeks.
Ms. Maguire, who was 61 at the time of her death and mere months away from retirement, was stabbed at Corpus Christi college in Leeds, West Yorkshire, on 28 April.
Three days later, Jake Newsome, 21, wrote that the 15-year-old boy accused of murdering her "should have p***** on her too".
His post:
personally im glad that teacher got stabbed up, feel sorry for the kid... he shoulda p***** on her too
The Guardian reports that Newsome, from Leeds, pleaded guilty at the city's magistrates court last month to sending an offensive message.
He was jailed when he appeared before a district judge on Wednesday.
Newsome had admitted to officers that he put the message on the site, but he claimed that he didn't think it was offensive.
According to the Daily Mail, Newsome's attorney, Ann Glen, told the court at an earlier hearing that Newsome empathised with the alleged murderer:
He felt that there were some similarities as to what people were saying about the young man and the background that this defendant has.
She also said that her client had no previous convictions and he understood he would "reap the consequences, realising that he had offended members of the public".
US readers who aren't familiar with other countries' laws regarding freedom of expression might be taken aback by Newsome's imprisonment.
UK citizens have the right to freedom of expression under common law, but there's a long list of exceptions to that right, among which are threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour meant to harass, alarm or distress others.
What you post on social media can come back to haunt you.
In many countries, that haunting may involve jail time - a good thing for would-be trolls to remember.
[/quote]
Opinions?
Edit: I think I've let this thread incubate long enough. I have already told the people who found out what the real meaning behind the thread was that they caught it. As for the majority, be sure to read past the first sentence and read the entire article before attacking the OP. That's how you get some serious discussion going. I'd expect that the hashtag #troll would have given it away, but nah. I also expected that the reply I gave to Niedo should have given it away too, but nah.
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Edited by Charlemagne: 6/6/2014 9:40:14 PMJust a general reminder: You are free to say whatever you want. That does not make you free from punishment because of it. Edit: So there seems to be some miscommunication about the above. I'm not stating my opinion, I'm stating the law. You are held accountable for what you say. If you threaten someone's life, it's a death threat. If you are racist or sexist, it's hate speech. If anything, this is a critique on modern society (not for good or bad, just a critique). It's like that popular joke against America (I'm not sure how familiar Americans are with it): American Freedom* * Some restrictions apply
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Its the UK no one takes those idiots seriously.
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Silly Brits. When will they learn?
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Lmao. Idiots can't even say what they want in that shitty country[quote][/quote]
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>1st amendment >wot
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Edited by Madman Mordo: 6/6/2014 9:37:32 PMI'm kind of disappointed in the Flood today. Silencing a dissenting point of view because you find it offensive or distressing is nothing short of authoritarian behavior. I'm sorry I have to take it to the extreme, but it wasn't that long ago Hitler was implementing Anti Semitic policies because he found the Jewish population distressing, and locking a kid up for being a retard that he's probably going to regret for the rest of his life isn't that different from rounding up a specific demographic of people into internment camps/ghettos because you find their way of life deplorable. You guys really need to be consistent for what you consider free speech is or isn't. Either it's okay to speak your mind, or it isn't okay to speak at all. You can't cherrypick what gets to be said, and what doesn't get to be said. I despise the right wing bigoted fascists and the insensitive pricks as much as the next sane person, but I will defend their right to spew their abhorrent despicable shit until the day I die, because it's a right EVERYONE is entitled to.
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[quote][url=http://xkcd.com/1357/]"I can't remember where I heard this, but someone once said that defending a position by citing free speech is sort of the ultimate concession; you're saying that the most compelling thing you can say for your position is that it's not literally illegal to express."[/url][/quote] Free speech is important but there is a line and he definitely crossed it. Jail is probably a little overkill though.
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The UK doesn't use the constitution
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Edited by TyrannosaurusRex: 6/5/2014 10:40:39 PMI like how all of my fellow americans are saying you can't get in trouble for that, but you can. I personally have served community service for saying these kinds of things to people over facebook. They called it harrassment and screwed me over bad, and it was seriously me just arguing and using a few words I shouldn't have. Also, he knows the 1st is a US thing, that's the -blam!-ing point. The article itself references it. Dumbasses.
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Silly bongs and your oversensitivity. "Oh dear, chaps! That ol' brute o'er there hurt moi feelins. Lock the wanker up!"
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You are free to say what you want, just remember the consequences of such words.
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They don't have the first amendment in the UK, or any freedom for that matter.
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Edited by DE4THINC4RN4TE: 6/6/2014 9:28:48 AMWell, it's a disgusting thing to say, but he SHOULD have the right to say it. Insert some stereotypical ramble about how great America is and how amazing it is to be free and whatnot -> "here". inb4LonePaul inb4Commies inb4PeopleSayTheyAren'tCommiesWhenTheyClearlyAre inb4GoEatAnotherBaconChesseburgerYouMorbidlyObese-blam!-LikeSeriouslyHowAreYouEvenAlive
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Edited by Gaara444: 6/5/2014 9:12:02 PM[quote]UK citizens have the right to freedom of expression under common law, but there's a long list of exceptions to that right,[/quote] This wasn't in The US, The First Amendment has no involvement in here. BTW, The First Amendment DOES protect my right to say that, thank God I don't live in the UK. If I were to go on my Facebook right now and post what he posted, nothing will happen to me.
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[quote]Newsome had admitted to officers that he put the message on the site, but he claimed that he didn't think it was offensive.[/quote] Sound logic, that.
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Edited by qy: 6/6/2014 1:31:36 AM[quote]A Facebook troll who posted disgusting messages about the classroom killing of a much-loved UK teacher, Ann Maguire, has been jailed for six weeks.[/quote] [quote]UK[/quote] Not 'merica
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I hate my own country a little more every day. So he posted something deliberately offensive, so what?
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Douchebaggery is a jail-able offense in Britbongistan? > tfw you realize everyone should be in a maximum security prison
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It is my opinion that you are very confused.
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He wasn't hurting anyone physically or threatening anyone so he shouldn't have gotten in trouble, stupid of him to do, but also stupid of him to get in trouble for it. But that's the britbongs for ya
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Yeah don't post stupid things like that on twitter or facebook. Oh and that's not "free speech", I think it's funny how Americans think they can say anything without consequence.
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So...trolling is illegal in the UK? 'MURICA - 1 UK - 0
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He probably shouldn't have been arrested, but in my opinion, he really had it coming
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So the US First Amendment does not protect a UK citizen who is living in the UK from charges under UK law. Who'd a thunk it?
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[quote]Freedom of Speech is a human right. Even if that speech is used for stupid purposes. [/quote] [quote]Freedom of Speech is a human right. Even if that speech is used for stupid purposes.[/quote][quote]Freedom of Speech is a human right. Even if that speech is used for stupid purposes.[/quote]