cf rape threats on Twitter

I'm all for freedom of expression but it's not absolute, never has been and never will be.

No-one, for example, is likely to advocate for the right of a paedophile freely to express their carnal desires.

Threatening to rape someone is rightly an offence, through Twitter or by other means, and needs to be taken seriously and dealt with.

Exhortations to bomb buildings are also rightly an offence - arguably an incitement to a terrorist act - and should be dealt with similarly.

For the avoidance of doubt these are all extreme examples. I think Cameron's attempt to censor the internet by blocking porn is laughably ill-advised: it won't work anyway, but that's not the point, he shouldn't be trying to do it. Oppressive regimes do this kind of thing (and it doesn't normally work for them, either).

But by any standards that tattoo crosses the line.

Posted By: Old Man on July 31st 2013 at 15:41:07

Message Thread

They should cut it off with a big blunt knife (General Chat) - CB41, Jul 31, 14:57:40
- i hope you are proud of yourself now (General Chat) - Tombs, Jul 31, 16:04:13
  - ceebbe knoweth not what he done or not what he doeth. (n/m) (General Chat) - Cheltenham_Canary, Jul 31, 16:10:52
  - Epic trolling to be fair (n/m) (General Chat) - duke of york, Jul 31, 16:05:00
    - For a change. (n/m) (General Chat) - norway, Jul 31, 16:05:48
      - textbook (General Chat) - Tombs, Jul 31, 16:08:57
- Fuck me if that was the other way round... (General Chat) - harry boulders, Jul 31, 15:09:09
  - i think the big message to take from this (General Chat) - fal5taff, Jul 31, 15:19:52
    - cf rape threats on Twitter (General Chat) - Old Man, Jul 31, 15:41:07
      - terrorism.... what a ludicrous word in criminal law (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 16:22:22
        
        Hair go. (General Chat) - mike_the_sphinx, Jul 31, 16:29:28
        
        The ANC were a terrorist organisation... (n/m) (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 16:35:29
        
        What freedoms have you lost mate? (n/m) (General Chat) - lurd, Jul 31, 16:28:28
        
        ... (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 16:40:53
        
        too many words. just summise how your day to day life has been affected.. (n/m) (General Chat) - lurd, Jul 31, 16:47:58
        
        day to day life? Day to day life was fine in Iraq under Saddam. That is not the point. (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 16:52:37
        
        Well that's clearly just poor policing rather than a sudden diversion into a Police State? (General Chat) - lurd, Jul 31, 16:58:36
        
        So conspiracy to commit mass murder was not an offence before this act? (n/m) (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 17:05:45
      - Nail, hammer and head. Freedom of expression is NOT absolute. (n/m) (General Chat) - mike_the_sphinx, Jul 31, 15:55:40
      - ^time for vimto! (n/m) (General Chat) - Cheltenham_Canary, Jul 31, 15:43:14
    - 100% this... Just look back at how other dubious laws have been subsequently abused (n/m) (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 15:31:32
    - because its inciting hatred, perhaps?! (n/m) (General Chat) - Cheltenham_Canary, Jul 31, 15:21:35
      - Islam is not a race (n/m) (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 15:32:00
        
        Stock answers should really relevant to the question. (n/m) (General Chat) - norway, Jul 31, 15:43:15
        
        i didnt say it was tbf. (n/m) (General Chat) - Cheltenham_Canary, Jul 31, 15:42:02
        
        good point, I should have spotted your name (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 15:47:30
        
        ? (General Chat) - Cheltenham_Canary, Jul 31, 15:54:35
        
        Sure it is. They do it in canoes and skiing (General Chat) - Fozzie, Jul 31, 15:40:11
      - um (General Chat) - fal5taff, Jul 31, 15:23:06
        
        Why not shout about bombing a mosque in the City, or wearing it as a t-shirt? (n/m) (General Chat) - mr chimp, Jul 31, 15:34:23
        
        Does Richard Dawkins incite religious hatred? (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 15:38:51
        
        No (General Chat) - Old Man, Jul 31, 15:41:59
        
        thx Old Man... saved me typing the same. People need to get their heads around (General Chat) - Pixelman, Jul 31, 15:47:39
        
        people should get their heads around the myth of freedom of speech (General Chat) - Tombs, Jul 31, 15:54:36
        
        so having a tattoo of a mosque blowing up is advocating it... (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 15:42:56
        
        I'm sure it would hae been ok had he had a big diagonal line drawn through it with the (General Chat) - Cheltenham_Canary, Jul 31, 16:17:26
        
        Well he's not being fucking ironic is he. (n/m) (General Chat) - Pixelman, Jul 31, 15:48:42
        
        Well it's certainly supporting the idea surely (n/m) (General Chat) - duke of york, Jul 31, 15:44:41
        
        What is it then (General Chat) - norway, Jul 31, 15:44:15
        
        it is a tattoo.... (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 15:49:26
        
        What if held up a placard saying 'Bomb a Mosque' or 'Murder Muslims'? (General Chat) - yarmyyarmy, Jul 31, 15:51:12
        
        Yes..... I would not arrest this lot for example. (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 15:52:58
        
        You'd just blow them up? (n/m) (General Chat) - duke of york, Jul 31, 15:54:44
        
        No (n/m) (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 16:11:05
        
        He's not advocating blowing up mosques though, silly boy (n/m) (General Chat) - Edwardo, Jul 31, 15:39:49
        
        until he actually blows up a mosque or starts planning such a an attack (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 15:44:34
        
        He's free to advertise that Muslims should be blown to bits? (n/m) (General Chat) - yarmyyarmy, Jul 31, 15:29:09
        
        free speech needs to be defended. (General Chat) - fal5taff, Jul 31, 15:41:46
        
        big difference between "free speech" and "inciting hatred". (General Chat) - Cheltenham_Canary, Jul 31, 16:10:12
        
        Yes if it's his body. (General Chat) - Pygmy bulb, Jul 31, 15:40:35
        
        so you recognise there's a distinction between committing violence and an opinion? (General Chat) - mr carra, Jul 31, 15:46:57
        
        vmt (n/m) (General Chat) - Pixelman, Jul 31, 15:50:47
        
        Well said (General Chat) - norway, Jul 31, 15:49:00
        
        What you mean is (General Chat) - Pygmy bulb, Jul 31, 16:44:08
        
        who chooses which violence it is legitimate to advocate? (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 15:51:06
        
        In that instance, our elected representatives. Who you can vote against. (n/m) (General Chat) - Edwardo, Jul 31, 15:53:39
        
        So by your argument (General Chat) - norway, Jul 31, 15:53:05
        
        yes. If that is what they want to do. (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 15:53:48
        
        I've not given you a single reason to believe I support any violence (General Chat) - norway, Jul 31, 15:56:07
        
        It's not an extreme view to think that you should be able to express whatever you want. (General Chat) - fal5taff, Jul 31, 15:59:05
        
        with more rights being taken away as we speak... (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 16:09:28
        
        You hopeless twat. (n/m) (General Chat) - norway, Jul 31, 16:02:44
        
        lol. Nicely summerised. (n/m) (General Chat) - Pixelman, Jul 31, 16:09:05
        
        It's fucking illegal to incite violence (General Chat) - duke of york, Jul 31, 16:00:42
        
        Hate crimes... (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 16:33:35
        
        so what? (n/m) (General Chat) - phrankin, Jul 31, 15:30:37

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