52 replies to this topic

[Northern Sol]

So if you search April Jones, in the hope for some news you lose your right to be offended?

No, you have the right to be offended, you just don't have the right to expect that the "offender" is punished for that.

[Johnoco]

Connected to this is the incident during the riots last year where a lad wrote on facebook 'Warrington tonight 8pm' or some such nonsense. Not one single person turned up, including the guy who wrote it, and yet the police saw fit to arrest the guy. The CPS then saw fit to charge him. And a judge (describing it as "an evil act" (really?) saw fit to find send him down for four years. Four years? For that?

So is it ok to have a bomb hoax and argue its ok cos there was no bomb? Riots were breaking out all over the shop, how were the cops to know it was a wind up?

It might not be up there in terms of evil acts but it was pretty stupid and the sentence sends out a message about posting provocative stuff in the public domain: expect to face the consequences.

[MikeW]

No, you have the right to be offended, you just don't have the right to expect that the "offender" is punished for that.

I wasn't aware anyone had put that argument forward anyway.

[Northern Sol]

Connected to this is the incident during the riots last year where a lad wrote on facebook 'Warrington tonight 8pm' or some such nonsense. Not one single person turned up, including the guy who wrote it, and yet the police saw fit to arrest the guy. The CPS then saw fit to charge him. And a judge (describing it as "an evil act" (really?) saw fit to find send him down for four years. Four years? For that?

Incitement to commit crimes is a crime. 4 years is a bit rough but he deserved punishing.

[Northern Sol]

I wasn't aware anyone had put that argument forward anyway.

Read Jonnoco's posts. He says that everybody concerned deserves what's coming to them. Morally speaking, they do but it's crappy justice.

[Johnoco]

Read Jonnoco's posts. He says that everybody concerned deserves what's coming to them. Morally speaking, they do but it's crappy justice.

Not sure I did actually. I said I have no concerns about pricks posting extremely insulting stuff on social media being punished. Not banter or pee taking, but trashing innocent children's memory. Bet the little tosser isn't so smart now.

[longboard]

If somebody put a borderline joke on the "Joke Thread", would that person be deemed as a danger to society, and as such punished, or would the "Mods", invertebrates though they are, just delete the post & warn the poster of their distaste?

I don't think they would be seen as a danger to society. If the person was a health worker posting fatuous "jokes" about the abuse of minors, who had been subject to prosecution, who had to go through professional conduct proceedings, and who had also made their identity public, then the mods and other board users would be right to question that individual's judgement, maturity and suitability to work in a responsible post.

[nadera78]

Incitement to commit crimes is a crime. 4 years is a bit rough but he deserved punishing.

He deserves a smack on the ######, of course he does, but four years? You'd get that for running someone over whilst drunk.

[John Drake]

If somebody put a borderline joke on the "Joke Thread", would that person be deemed as a danger to society, and as such punished, or would the "Mods", invertebrates though they are, just delete the post & warn the poster of their distaste?

On here at least, it's about the application of common sense.

You'd be useless at it.

[Bleep1673]

On here at least, it's about the application of common sense.

You'd be useless at it.

yup!

[Johnoco]

He deserves a smack on the ######, of course he does, but four years? You'd get that for running someone over whilst drunk.

A couple of divvys I know tried to rob a shop with a wooden stick (ie pretending it was a gun). They got treated exactly the same as if it had been a real one and jailed. Their families argued 'it wasn't a real one...etc'

I bet he won't be doing it again.

[gingerjon]

I bet he won't be doing it again.

Reoffending rates suggest he will.

[Johnoco]

Reoffending rates suggest he will.

Then give him another 4 years.

[Johnoco]

I see some geezer has been jailed for wearing an offensive t-shirt about the two coppers who got shot. 8 months.

[Wolford6]

Most "humorous" T-shirts are just the opposite ... completely tw@tsome.

[Kiwi-Capper_merged]

Not sure I did actually. I said I have no concerns about pricks posting extremely insulting stuff on social media being punished. Not banter or pee taking, but trashing innocent children's memory. Bet the little tosser isn't so smart now.

What can be "banter" and "pee taking" to one person can be offensive to someone else. Where do we draw the line? I've read stuff on here that I've found offensive but I'm not sure I'd want anyone to be thrown in jail for it.

[Johnoco]

What can be "banter" and "pee taking" to one person can be offensive to someone else. Where do we draw the line? I've read stuff on here that I've found offensive but I'm not sure I'd want anyone to be thrown in jail for it.

I think we can safely say that posting offensive comments about murdered 5 year old girls is well beyond most peoples idea of banter............ wouldn't you?

[Kiwi-Capper_merged]

I think we can safely say that posting offensive comments about murdered 5 year old girls is well beyond most peoples idea of banter............ wouldn't you?

Yes most people. I'll not argue the fact that the behaviour of the people making these comments is moronic & abhorrent but I'm not convinced that (in the same week we see a public figure given just 140 hours community service for mentally and physically abusing their partner) we should be sending these people to jail.

Are jokes about a deceased alleged sex offender abusing underage girls. Is that banter?

Or what about a group of men making lewd comments about pictures of scantily clad women? Is that banter too?

You need look no further than these forums for examples of the above and I find that offensive.

[Johnoco]

In reality, I don't think they should be sent to prison either. But I don't actually care that they are if I'm totally honest.

And if you are putting comments on here in the same bracket as comments about murdered children, then you need to have a think about it.

[Kiwi-Capper_merged]

I'm not putting them in the same bracket. There just isn't a clear cut line between what is "banter" and what isn't.

Frankie Boyle makes jokes about disabled children. He's a millionaire. Some guy makes what he perceives to be a joke about a murder victim and gets thrown in jail.