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Fabrice Muamba: Racist Twitter user jailed for 56 days


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Fabrice Muamba: Racist Twitter user jailed for 56 days

 

I know at best I will split opinions on here for bringing this up, but what the **** is happening to freedom of speech in this country? Don't get me wrong, Liam Stacey is a prick of the highest order, and deserves some heat from his peers for his comments, but two months in jail??? Really???

 

And following on from the Azhar Ahmed debacle I am seriously disturbed by the worrying precedents being set by the judicial system recently. The courts seem to have nothing better to do than to stamp down on free speech whenever the public get outraged and offended. There are violent offenders who get away with less.

 

I expect this kind of crap in a theocratic dictatorship, not here. People should not be jailed simply for causing offense, no matter how dickish their words have been. It is a sick joke that these cases even went to court at all.

 

Sticks and stones and all that

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what the **** is happening to freedom of speech in this country?

 

It is being read in accordance with Article 10 limitations, as it should be.

 

56 days, he'll be out in no time. Perfectly fair given what he's said/tweeted.

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It is being read in accordance with Article 10 limitations, as it should be.

 

56 days, he'll be out in no time. Perfectly fair given what he's said/tweeted.

Sticks and stones mate. Sticks and stones.

 

He now has a criminal record and has to spend several weeks in jail for tweeting offensive things. What is fair about it?

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Sticks and stones mate. Sticks and stones.

 

He now has a criminal record and has to spend several weeks in jail for tweeting offensive things. What is fair about it?

 

So if he'd stood in the middle of Swansea town centre with a megaphone shouting the things he tweeted at passing black people, that would be OK?

 

Certainly worthy of a prison sentence and a criminal record. Disgusting behaviour.

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If he had been sent down for the original tweet about Muamba then there might have been a freedom of speech defence. He wasn't - he's been sent down for the vile racist abuse he directed at people who objected to that original tweet. No problem whatsoever with him serving time for it.

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I would class that has harassment or maybe even "disturbing the peace". So no, that would not be ok.

 

What if he wrote letters and sent them through the post?

 

I am wary of sounding facetious, I'm genuinely curious as to where the line is for you.

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If he had been sent down for the original tweet about Muamba then there might have been a freedom of speech defence. He wasn't - he's been sent down for the vile racist abuse he directed at people who objected to that original tweet. No problem whatsoever with him serving time for it.

Merely insulting people on the internet should not be a crime, whether they are racially slanted insults or not.

 

I am amazed at how many people think that causing offense should equal jail time.

Edited by PhilStarbucksSilkySkills
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I'm glad I'm not a magistrate.

 

There is a danger that the nasty man who typed the nasty words ends up getting sympathy and support as a result of the sentence. Which is surely not the purpose of dishing it out.

 

Community service for 300 hours in the heart of a deprived black area might have been more appropriate.

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That would be harassment again

 

 

Merely insulting people on the internet should not be a crime, whether they are racially slanted insults or not.

 

I am amazed at how many people think that causing offense should equal jail time.

 

Why is posting it on the internet not a crime but doing it in a letter harrassment?

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Merely insulting people on the internet should not be a crime, whether they are racially slanted insults or not.

 

I am amazed at how many people think that causing offense should equal jail time.

 

You just said sending a letter or shouting it in the street would be harassment, would you class sending a tweet differently? Genuine question as I don't see a difference other than tweets being more public.

Edited by mikebOAFC
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Merely insulting people on the internet should not be a crime, whether they are racially slanted insults or not.

 

I am amazed at how many people think that causing offense should equal jail time.

I dont think you realise how serious Cyber bullying is , it can be worse than normal bullying.

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You just said sending a letter or shouting it in the street would be harassment, would you class sending a tweet differently? Genuine question as I don't see a difference other than tweets being more public.

 

Why is posting it on the internet not a crime but doing it in a letter harrassment?

 

His tweets were part of heated exchanges between his fellow tweeters. He didn't single anyone out specifically. He just lost his head whilst interacting with them. If he had singled anyone out and kept insulting them then he would be harassment (although surely you can block people on twitter so I'm not sure that would fly in my book)

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His tweets were part of heated exchanges between his fellow tweeters. He didn't single anyone out specifically. He just lost his head whilst interacting with them. If he had singled anyone out and kept insulting them then he would be harassment (although surely you can block people on twitter so I'm not sure that would fly in my book)

 

But he did write directly to people with racist comments.

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Similar to rioters getting the sentences they got. Any other circumstance then stealing a Mars Bar or whatever wouldn't have got them jail time.

 

Given the publicity the whole thing was getting the judge probably had little choice.

 

Been made an example of, no question.. He's still a cock so I'll lose no sleep.

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Those who cry for freedom of speech shouldn't be too scared to start with freedom of thought.

I've got no idea what you mean by that

 

Racism is a hate crime

Racism is not any crime by my definition. It is simply an attitude. Whether that attitude eventually informs any ACTUAL crimes, is another matter. But it is those crime that should be punished, not the racism.

 

Racism is wrong

And punishable by jail-time and a life messed up by a criminal record according to some.

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