June 02, 2015

Supreme Court rules it's okay to post specific threats on social media???

The Supreme Court has handed down yet another goofy ruling, this one stating that it's okay for people to post specifically threatening statements on social media sites.

For at least the last century in the U.S. it's been a crime to threaten to injure or kill someone.  And the record is quite clear that Anthony Elonis posted statements on his Facebook page about killing his estranged wife, harming law enforcement officials and shooting up a school.  For example, in a post about is estranged wife he wrote "There's...a thousand ways to kill you. I'm not going to rest until your body is a mess, soaked in blood and dying from all the little cuts."

But don't worry, citizen.  It's all good.  Just accept that it's now okay for people to specifically threaten to kill not just *broad groups* but specific people, using social media--provided, of course, that you claim the threats are merely "rap lyrics," that you didn't actually intend them as a threat, and that enforcing those mean ol' "assault" laws takes away your right of free speech.


Yes, Elonis claimed he didn't violate any law if he didn't actually intend his comments to be threatening, and that his posts were protected by the First Amendment.  Oh, and that his posts were a form of therapy that allowed him to cope with the breakup of his marriage."


Elonis' wife testified that the comments made her fear for her life, and she asked for and got a judge to issue a protective order.  On learning about the protective order Elonis posted on Facebook: "Is it thick enough to stop a bullet?"


Yeah, that sounds like most of the rap lyrics we hear.  No intent to threaten there, no sir.

Here's another from this charmer: 
If only I knew then what I know now, I would have smothered your ass, dumped you in the back seat, dropped you off in Toad Creek and made it look like a rape and murder.
That's got a better rhythm to it, don't you think?  But clearly no intent to threaten.  Not a bit.  I mean, why in the world would a local judge issue this woman a protection order for such an innocuous form of "therapy?"

Okay, enough satire:  The wackos on the supreme court keep issuing decisions that slowly erase the lines that allow civilized, law-abiding, non-threatening people to live free of threats by angry or thuggish maniacs.  So be it.  So I'll take them at their word:

(Ahem.) 
"You assholes on the court are
    dismantling our civilization with each month.
You deserve to be tortured and killed
    for your perversity and treachery. 
Hopefully...
    some poor bastard who's been beaten
    or lost a daughter or wife because of
your perverse "rulings" will take matters
    into his own hands and kill you all."

Wow!  That felt SO therapeutic!  Of course y'all can see I'm new to this "rap lyrics" thang cuz I didn't manage to work in "bitches" or "ho's" but hey, ev'rybody gotta start somewhere. Artistic expression rocks!

Sure am glad the supremes ruled that it's now okay to post stuff like this!  Cuz it's "artistic expression" "not intended as a threat" and "it's therapeutic."

Just...wow.

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