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Bill would turn Internet flamers into felons

by skydivedad
8 replies
Good Grief!

A little-noticed bill re-introduced in the U.S. Congress (The Censorship Law of 2009) last month would make the use of popular electronic communications a felony if "the intent is to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person."

Seems getting into a flame war here on the Warrior Forum or someone's comment on your Blog could land you in the Federal Pokey and Free Speech be damned. Talk about a stupid idea and Bad Law.

Full Story:Click the link
#bill #felons #flamers #free speech #internet #turn
  • Profile picture of the author winebuddy
    just shows you what this country is coming to.

    Saw this the other day and liked it:

    Know Guns, Know Peace, Know freedom
    No guns, no peace, no freedom

    You can have it either way
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    "Knowledge is NOT power... ACTION on Knowledge is power"
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  • Profile picture of the author MichaelHiles
    "...and then that pesky Bill of Rights got in the way of the empty-headed, elected representative's nefarious plans...."
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  • Profile picture of the author X
    It's not what this country is coming
    to - it's what it is and it is what it
    has been.

    Of course this is probably motivated
    by some well documented cases where
    teens have harassed another kid via
    social media to the point of suicide (or
    coming to school with guns to kill
    everyone).

    It'd really suck though if the government
    forces us all to become more civil.

    First, I can't kill anyone - now I can't
    flame them either?

    Dude, seriously.

    X
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  • Profile picture of the author dvduval
    If you have ever been the victim of someone threatening you physical harm online and they know where you live, you have probably lost some sleep over it. I wouln't want a bill like this to go too far, but I do think if someone threatens you, they need to get a visit from the police.
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    • Profile picture of the author skydivedad
      Originally Posted by dvduval View Post

      If you have ever been the victim of someone threatening you physical harm online and they know where you live, you have probably lost some sleep over it. I wouln't want a bill like this to go too far, but I do think if someone threatens you, they need to get a visit from the police.
      Unfortunately I've had that experience. I wrote a series about Negro League Ball Players finally getting their just Inclusion into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. I stopped counting the Death Threats in my inbox around 150. One fellow seemed a particularly dangerous wacko when he included my home address in his 4th email. I contacted Law Enforcement and changed email providers. His account was suspended and not given an apology I pressed charges and he spend 4 months in his local County Jail. We have current laws in place for this sort of things that work just fine.

      This is just an example of a Politician Pandering to the lowest common denominator of communal fear. This Bill goes beyond "to far" and is a threat to our Personal Liberties and our business's.

      All the Best
      Paul
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  • Profile picture of the author bgmacaw
    "First Amendment freedoms are most in danger when the government seeks to control thought or to justify its laws for that impermissible end. The right to think is the beginning of freedom, and speech must be protected from the government because speech is the beginning of thought." - Justice Anthony M. Kennedy
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  • Profile picture of the author winebuddy
    It's always the governemnt trying to "protect us".

    Someone said it long ago - if you want security - the government wants your freedoms.

    "I want to be safe" say the masses...

    "we'll make you safe" say the government...

    And then they took away the right to bear arms, made you wear a seatbelt, took away your right to drink or smoke, took away your right to be an ass if you want to...

    And then...

    They took away your right to post nasty mean stuff about someone else on a forum
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  • Profile picture of the author traces2757
    I think threatening someone online would fit somewhere in the anti-stalking laws, wouldn't it?

    Childish online flaming is just silly stuff. Threatening to cause someone physical harm or death, even if done online, should be taken as seriously as if the threat came in any other way. I don't think there needs to be any new laws concerning it; I think there already are laws that cover it.
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