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Muddying the "simple argument" would be lumping stalkers in with people inciting violence against foreigners and posting nasty comments about the Prime Minister

by tolien 1y ago

Muddying the "simple argument" would be lumping stalkers in with people inciting violence against foreigners and posting nasty comments about the Prime Minister, to make some kind of point about the police. That would be ridiculous.

aunty_helen 1y ago
Stalking: Already a Crime Inciting Violence: Already a Crime Posting nasty comments: Not a crime. Glad I could clear things up for you.
- tolien 1y ago
  Yet implying people are being arrested for the latter, while showing examples of the first two. Clear as mud.
  - Xss3 1y ago
    It's slightly more nuanced. Attacking people for protected characteristics such as race, religion, disability, gender, sexuality, is also an offence. You can be a cunt all you want, just make sure you're being nasty about them as a person not their religion or race or whatever group you might feel they belong to All cases I've seen have been cut and dry in this regard. Racist or homophobic usually.
    - tolien 1y ago
      Indeed, I didn't mean to imply those three were the only categories of things within "online posts"! Rather, that it's disingenous to lump all of that under one umbrella and suggest great swathes of people are being arrested for a tweet.
- OtherShrezzing 1y ago
  I think Connelly was sentenced with inciting violence, rather than nasty comments. The medium she used to incite violence was a comment on a website. But she still incited violence, and was charged accordingly.
- immibis 1y ago
  Except, in some countries, it is a crime. Why do you think it's not one? Are you familiar with UK law? In Germany there are even stricter laws. Insulting someone is a crime, even if the things you say are factually true. And then you have repressive dictatorships, like the UAE, USA and China, where you can't disagree with the government on anything. It's definitely a crime there, to say the president looks like Winnie the Pooh.
  - johnisgood 1y ago
    I am familiar with the UK law, and it has been a crime for decades. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44641764 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44641764
- johnisgood 1y ago
  I am sorry to disappoint you, but posting nasty comments is a crime in the UK under the 2003 Communications Act, which means it has been a crime for decades. Section 127(1) makes it an offence to: "Send by means of a public electronic communications network a message that is a - (a) grossly offensive, (b) indecent, obscene, or menacing, or (c) false, known to be false, for causing annoyance, inconvenience, or needless anxiety." Section 127(2) adds that: "A person is also guilty of an offence if they cause a message or other matter to be sent that is similarly offensive or menancing. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/section/127 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/section/127

by tolien 1y ago

aunty_helen 1y ago

Stalking: Already a Crime Inciting Violence: Already a Crime Posting nasty comments: Not a crime. Glad I could clear things up for you.

tolien 1y ago
Yet implying people are being arrested for the latter, while showing examples of the first two. Clear as mud.
- Xss3 1y ago
  It's slightly more nuanced. Attacking people for protected characteristics such as race, religion, disability, gender, sexuality, is also an offence. You can be a cunt all you want, just make sure you're being nasty about them as a person not their religion or race or whatever group you might feel they belong to All cases I've seen have been cut and dry in this regard. Racist or homophobic usually.
  - tolien 1y ago
    Indeed, I didn't mean to imply those three were the only categories of things within "online posts"! Rather, that it's disingenous to lump all of that under one umbrella and suggest great swathes of people are being arrested for a tweet.
OtherShrezzing 1y ago
I think Connelly was sentenced with inciting violence, rather than nasty comments. The medium she used to incite violence was a comment on a website. But she still incited violence, and was charged accordingly.
immibis 1y ago
Except, in some countries, it is a crime. Why do you think it's not one? Are you familiar with UK law? In Germany there are even stricter laws. Insulting someone is a crime, even if the things you say are factually true. And then you have repressive dictatorships, like the UAE, USA and China, where you can't disagree with the government on anything. It's definitely a crime there, to say the president looks like Winnie the Pooh.
- johnisgood 1y ago
  I am familiar with the UK law, and it has been a crime for decades. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44641764 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44641764
johnisgood 1y ago
I am sorry to disappoint you, but posting nasty comments is a crime in the UK under the 2003 Communications Act, which means it has been a crime for decades. Section 127(1) makes it an offence to: "Send by means of a public electronic communications network a message that is a - (a) grossly offensive, (b) indecent, obscene, or menacing, or (c) false, known to be false, for causing annoyance, inconvenience, or needless anxiety." Section 127(2) adds that: "A person is also guilty of an offence if they cause a message or other matter to be sent that is similarly offensive or menancing. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/section/127 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/section/127