Hah.. jailed for trolling (UK people beware)

[rocket]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,1889311,00.html

Race hate message man jailed

Agencies
Friday October 6, 2006
Guardian Unlimited

A man who posted racist messages on a website in memory of murdered black teenager Anthony Walker was jailed for more than three years today.

Neil Martin, 30, emailed at least six comments to the website - less than a week after Anthony was killed with an ice axe in a racist attack in Huyton, Merseyside, last year.

The site was set up by a school friend of the 18-year-old. Posting under the pseudonym Genuine Scouser, Martin suggested that white people should celebrate the murder, that Anthony's family should be burned and made references to slavery and a "banana boat".

[JOHN MATRIX]

this is extremely fucked up-jailed for message board posts? LOL how many getbiggers would be jailed for life/executed in that case? what a shame that britain would stoop to that level.

[rocket]

Totally agree.

In Australia free speech is not legislated

I'm not sure whether it is the same in the UK

[JOHN MATRIX]

say rocket, dont you think its about time to change that avatar of yours? im sure im not the only one who has been sufficiently disturbed by it by this point.

[gtbro1]

say rocket, dont you think its about time to change that avatar of yours? im sure im not the only one who has been sufficiently disturbed by it by this point.

 agreed. lol

[Al-Gebra]

since when does "free speech" mean you get to say whatever the hell passes through your head?

fucker got what he deserved.

[rocket]

say rocket, dont you think its about time to change that avatar of yours? im sure im not the only one who has been sufficiently disturbed by it by this point.

Hah, every time someone lets me know of this (and there have been many) I realise I must keep it.

It will never be something that doesn't evoke that type of response.  Its cheaper than getting a tattoo on the face

[JOHN MATRIX]

since when does "free speech" mean you get to say whatever the hell passes through your head?

fucker got what he deserved.

i hope your being sarcastic.
i said in previous posts that concentration camps should be set up for the rap/hiphop industry/culture. should i be imprisoned for saying i think that?

[Al-Gebra]

i hope your being sarcastic.
i said in previous posts that concentration camps should be set up for the rap/hiphop industry/culture. should i be imprisoned for saying i think that?

I'm not being sarcastic.

Free speech in this country is meant to facilitate the working of the "marketplace of ideas."

Hate speech is pointless--any sensible person knows that it does not facilitate a search for truth.  the law knows this too, and has ways to limit first amendment protections from being used to justify any nonsense people want to spout.

to answer your question . . . no, it's not worth the govts' while (or my tax dollars) to put you in jail.

But, if you're ever up for a position of real value, it is already very likely that what you post on message boards will bite you in the ass. hard.

[CQ]

The one thing I will say, is that hypothetically speaking, if this was the other way around...blacks murdered a white guy and a black person was posting hate messages about whites on his tribute site [also pre-racism ban from Ron]........

We would have a mega page thread with people [present company excluded] spewing hatred for black people in general. Check thread history, that's how things roll here alot.

On topic, I agree with the principle of free speech, feel that 3 years prison is overly excessive harsh punishment and uncalled for, but all principles aside, I cannot muster up any sympathy for a guy who posted hatefilled messages on a tribute site for a teenager that was killed. I'll save my sympathy for the teenager's family

[24KT]

ditto what CQ said. 

[JOHN MATRIX]

I'm not being sarcastic.

Free speech in this country is meant to facilitate the working of the "marketplace of ideas."

Hate speech is pointless--any sensible person knows that it does not facilitate a search for truth.  the law knows this too, and has ways to limit first amendment protections from being used to justify any nonsense people want to spout.

to answer your question . . . no, it's not worth the govts' while (or my tax dollars) to put you in jail.

But, if you're ever up for a position of real value, it is already very likely that what you post on message boards will bite you in the ass. hard.

'hate speech' is completely legal...this is why groups like the KKK are allowed to freely demonstrate and exist by law. the only thing that the free speech amendment limits is someone saying something along the lines of an immediate threat, such as threatening to kill someone or making claims suggesting they are going to carry out something malicious and harmful to someone else especially a prominent figure like the president.

if someone posts something on a message board saying he hates something and that it was justified or whatever, as fucked up as it may be, it is perfectly legal and any attempt to try or imprision that person based solely on their expressed opinion is certainly a twisted corruption of the law and is an ominous sign of things to come.

[Hedgehog]

The one thing I will say, is that hypothetically speaking, if this was the other way around...blacks murdered a white guy and a black person was posting hate messages about whites on his tribute site [also pre-racism ban from Ron]........

We would have a mega page thread with people [present company excluded] spewing hatred for black people in general. Check thread history, that's how things roll here alot.

On topic, I agree with the principle of free speech, feel that 3 years prison is overly excessive harsh punishment and uncalled for, but all principles aside, I cannot muster up any sympathy for a guy who posted hatefilled messages on a tribute site for a teenager that was killed. I'll save my sympathy for the teenager's family

No sympathy?

I think this whole situation blows, and the guy, regardless if he is an asshole, goes through hell right now.

Three years in prison for something like that?

It's not only a personal disaster, but a huge blow to the freedom of speech in UK, and the rest of the world.

This is BS.

Whether or not the "Genuine Scouser" is a POS is not the issue. The issue at hand, is how the police and the courts, with the help of the legislators, wants to cut down on individual freedom.

YIP
Zack

[Samourai Pizzacat]

'hate speech' is completely legal...this is why groups like the KKK are allowed to freely demonstrate and exist by law. the only thing that the free speech amendment limits is someone saying something along the lines of an immediate threat, such as threatening to kill someone or making claims suggesting they are going to carry out something malicious and harmful to someone else especially a prominent figure like the president.

if someone posts something on a message board saying he hates something and that it was justified or whatever, as fucked up as it may be, it is perfectly legal and any attempt to try or imprision that person based solely on their expressed opinion is certainly a twisted corruption of the law and is an ominous sign of things to come.

Here in Holland a person could take someone to court when one feels insulted or grieved when the insulter makes his remarks with intent to hurt, instead of sharing his view. The man is rightly punished, a bit long perhaps.

It's not as much about the content but about the style and intention of the remark that can lead to a case. It's a very precarious field however so every single case is different and should be judged carefully.

[rocket]

No sympathy?

I think this whole situation blows, and the guy, regardless if he is an asshole, goes through hell right now.

Three years in prison for something like that?

It's not only a personal disaster, but a huge blow to the freedom of speech in UK, and the rest of the world.

This is BS.

Whether or not the "Genuine Scouser" is a POS is not the issue. The issue at hand, is how the police and the courts, with the help of the legislators, wants to cut down on individual freedom.

YIP
Zack

I agree.

[Faust]

3 years is too long. Give him community work, like 200 hours

I know of a rapist (14 cases) that only got 7 years (after 1/3 of that he can get free). The justice system in Europe is fucked up.

I remember the axe-attack story. Very sickening/surreal. Dude was just waiting for a bus when 3 or 4 guys attacked him. Apparently they were pissed cause the guy had a white gf.

[davidpaul]

he had 35 images of child porn, i am pretty sure sure that had a bearing of the outcome, do you guys condone child porn?

Lastly the case was severely horrific, this guy trolled on the MEMORIAL SITE started in tribute to anthony (not on some random board), a model school boy murdered for being black.

[Hedgehog]

he had 35 images of child porn, i am pretty sure sure that had a bearing of the outcome, do you guys condone child porn?

Lastly the case was severely horrific, this guy trolled on the MEMORIAL SITE started in tribute to anthony (not on some random board), a model school boy murdered for being black.

I support any REGULAR sentence that he would get for the child porn.

Of course.

But likewise, I still believe it's bullshit that the freedom of speech is so severly infringed. His hating should not even get into the court IMO.


YIP
Zack

[scooter]

WTF I cant belive I just read this I hope the US dosent follow that would be a real shame.

[Camel Jockey]

What the guy did was very insensitive and racist, but it's not worth jail time or any other type of prosecution.

[Cavalier22]

that is such horseshit

[hangclean]

I wonder if it was "Woten (SIr Duchaine)" who posted on that board.

[CQ]

I bet he really regrets posting those messages now

[Dos Equis]

I'm not being sarcastic.

Free speech in this country is meant to facilitate the working of the "marketplace of ideas."

Hate speech is pointless--any sensible person knows that it does not facilitate a search for truth.  the law knows this too, and has ways to limit first amendment protections from being used to justify any nonsense people want to spout.

to answer your question . . . no, it's not worth the govts' while (or my tax dollars) to put you in jail.

But, if you're ever up for a position of real value, it is already very likely that what you post on message boards will bite you in the ass. hard.

I agree.  Well said.