Oh Look, Police Can Investigate A Satirical Online Comment About Mythical Violence And Not Overreact
from the if-only-others-did-so-as-well dept
We've recently covered two separate stories of guys who made (perhaps in poor taste) jokes online about a violent activity they were considering (one a joke about blowing up an airport, and another taking a line from Fight Club and applying it to an Apple Store). In both cases (one in the UK and one in the US), police came to investigate. I have no problem with that part of it. If someone legitimately feels threatened, it's good that the police will go investigate. The problem was that even after they realized that the person was just making an offhand joking statement online, they still pressed charges. The guy in the US eventually got off, but the guy in the UK did not and is still appealing his case higher.However, it's nice to know that sometimes the police recognize a silly online comment for being a silly online comment. Romenesko points us to a recent story of a blogger who writes (somewhat satirically) about the giant NYC apartment complex Stuy Town, who recently had a post entitled Tenant to Children: STFU, complaining about kids making a lot of noise early on Saturday morning, and telling parents to keep their kids quiet however possible. It also illustrated the post with "a crying child in a rifle scope's crosshairs," -- an image that was changed after people complained. Either way, all of this got some residents to call the police, worried that someone was "targeting" their children, and so the police actually stopped by the blogger's apartment to make sure he wasn't really planning to shoot children:
Detectives from the 13th Precinct stopped by today to check on my lucidity and be sure there were no guns in my apartment after some tenants complained that I was inciting violence by posting an email sent to me for the "Tenant to Children: STFU!" post. They were really nice and understood the Lux Living post in question was satire but they had a job to do. After a tour of my apartment and some light conversation about my art collection and antique furniture it was clear to them that I am just a writer with a dark sense of humor and not a threat to society.While one assumes that this should be the standard way that police respond to such complaints, just the fact that we've seen a few stories that went in the other direction made me realize we might as well highlight when things go the right way also.
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This is what passes for parenting today
Random stranger complains about crying children - parents call the cops.
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This is the definition of a grumpy old man
Grumpy old man, who wakes up at 4pm, gets pissed that kids have fun so threatens to shoot them dead.
Parents call police about grumpy old man; police investigate and report back he's just a harmless arsehole and not to worry about unless he offers your kid sweets.
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Re: This is the definition of a grumpy old man
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Re: This is the definition of a grumpy old man
I've lived where children are outside at 7 or 8am on Saturday, I worked nights (getting home at about 0615 or so). I was in my early 20's at the time, so don't even start with the "grumpy old man" bit.
It's nearly impossible to get your sleep when you have loud children outside your apartment at those early hours. If it was 4pm, I wouldn't have said anything, I'd already be awake after getting my 6-9 hours of sleep.
So, AC, STFU.
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Not like it's gna eat a whole lot of space Mike =)
/Cynicism
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We have the opposite problem
If you watch the clip, it is pretty clear he didn't understand that this wasn't appropriate:
http://whoacanada.wordpress.com/2010/12/01/unspeakable-tom-flanagan-and-wikileaks/
Flanagan clearly broke the law in counseling a felony, and followed it up with a threatening email to a woman who complained about it. Although most Canadians are appalled neither the RCMP (our federal police) or local police forces will even bring charges against this man.
Even worse, although the school community is up in arms, the University of Calgary won't even discipline Flanagan, let alone fire him.
Please sign the petition asking for: Dr. Tom Flanagan’s immediate expulsion from the University of Calgary.
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Re: We have the opposite problem
Laws apply to you not us.
Regards, Dr. Tom Flanagan
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Re: We have the opposite problem
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Re: We have the opposite problem
http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/12/01/flanagan-wikileaks-assange.html
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"they" still pressed charges
Cops arrest, prosecutors prosecute.*
*at least in the U.S. I can only assume there's a similar separation in Canada & the UK, and I could be wrong.
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it's all about the liability
A wise man once told me "keep your words soft and sweet, because someday you may hae to eat them."
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Re: it's all about the liability
It's lawyers all the way down.
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Re: Re: it's all about the liability
Hehe. Nice.
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Recognizing a joke
I like the idea of the police deciding to clear it through a judge, just to be sure everyone is treated equally. It wasn't too long ago that "if he's white, it was a joke, if black, nail him!" was the vogue.
True, judges were also involved, but those things can be appealed in a court. Appealing in other situations doesn't work.
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