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This is an interesting case that points to a hole in our society. We have this freedom of speech that is really important. People shouldn't be prosecuted for sp
by Arnor 13y ago
This is an interesting case that points to a hole in our society. We have this freedom of speech that is really important. People shouldn't be prosecuted for speaking in poor taste. The statement was wrong but not criminal. The fact that it wasn't criminal doesn't mean it should be ignored. Anyone who makes a comment like that has a problem. It might not be a mental illness, but it is a problem. Healthy, well-adjusted people just don't say things like that. It's not a crime to be unhealthy or poorly adjusted so we need another means of dealing with that problem.
There was reasonable suspicion to investigate Carter, but barring hard evidence of intent to follow through, he should be freed. Personally (not politically), I think community service would be appropriate for these comments, but that's a slippery slope that should not be legally imposed.
- amirmc 13y ago> "Healthy, well-adjusted people just don't say things like that." Says who? Just because one person's sense of humour is perhaps less-palatable to someone else doesn't make that person 'unhealthy' or 'maladjusted'.
- thisisdallas 13y agoExactly. Spend an hour on xbox live and I guarantee you will hear things worse than what that kid said. My gosh, watch some R rated movies and I guarantee you will see things much worse than what that kid said.
- Arnor 13y agoAre you implying that no one on xbox live is maladjusted?
- jlgreco 13y agoIf you are defining "maladjusted" as "people who say things on occasion that I find shocking"....
- thisisdallas 13y agoNo, I am implying that is the kid is maladjusted than the majority of people on xbox live are maladjusted. If that is the case, than the majority of hollywood is also maladjusted. If that is the case, the majority of those who enjoy the movies produced and directed by those who are maladjusted are also maladjusted. Follow that line of reasoning with most form of media e.g. books, tv shows, music and video games. At this point, most of America, not to mention the world, could be considered maladjusted. Now, it just depends on what your definition of maladjusted is.
- Arnor 13y agoI'm not an xbox live user, but I do watch my share of movies. I've yet to see a reference to killing a school full of children and eating their hearts in any movie that has come out of hollywood.
- darkarmani 13y agoYou only need to spend a little bit of time with your "peers" on Xbox live to understand.
- Arnor 13y agoI beg your pardon, but my "peers" don't talk that way.
- pfortuny 13y agoI'm sorry but: 1) if it is a health problem, it is not a police issue. 2) if you cannot use history as a means to exaggerating, we have a problem. Ever watched "to be or not to be" by E. Lubitz? There is a joke there "listening to Wagner makes me wish to invade Poland." That is MUCH WORSE than any school shoot in the USA. But then cannot you make that joke?
- Arnor 13y agoDid you even read the comment you replied to? "People shouldn't be prosecuted for speaking in poor taste. The statement was wrong but not criminal." "barring hard evidence of intent to follow through, he should be freed." "slippery slope that should not be legally imposed."
- ryusage 13y ago> Healthy, well-adjusted people just don't say things like that. Unless they're doing this on an extremely regular basis, I don't even think this is a sign of someone having a problem. I think I'm normal enough, and I know for a fact there have been moments where I've made a comment that was meant to be a little over-the-top or shocking, and ended up being much worse than it seemed in my head. I really think this happens to everyone at some point, don't you? This kid just had the bad luck that the people he was talking to thought he really meant it. In this particular case, I think it was understandable that they might not see his statement as sarcastic and under that belief, it makes sense for them to call the police. But I agree with you, that to convict him there really needs to be some other evidence besides a single off-the-cuff statement in the context of trash talk. I don't even think this kid should get community service. His attempt to be sarcastic on the internet didn't communicate what he thought it did, and that's it.