UK Police Now Threatening to Arrest People Who Make Fun of Their Facebook Posts About Drug Busts

a reply to: BotheLumberJack

Star from me because I feel we're of similar core values, just differ in ideas of delivering the system.

a reply to: CornishCeltGuy

Peace.

a reply to: CornishCeltGuy

Grossly offensive is pretty obvious to most people

No its not. LIke to me teaching your dog the Nazi salute is funny, also to alot of people in the UK it was funny not grossly offensive.


I actually believe it is grossly offensive to charge the guy with a crime.

a reply to: notsure1

British laws are easy to negotiate, what more do you want? The right to say "I hope your baby gets raped to death and you have to watch it" ???
I don't want that right personally.
EDIT
I could still say that face to face, but online could be an issue if someone complained.
Either way, I don't want a society where it is acceptable to say # like that.
Do you? Really?

originally posted by: CornishCeltGuy
a reply to: notsure1

British laws are easy to negotiate, what more do you want? The right to say "I hope your baby gets raped to death and you have to watch it" ???
I don't want that right personally.
EDIT
I could still say that face to face, but online could be an issue if someone complained.
Either way, I don't want a society where it is acceptable to say # like that.
Do you? Really?

Yes I want a society where it is acceptable to say anything I want. Because people get mad and say horrible things they dont mean all the time.

Sticks and stones can break your bones but words can never hurt me..

originally posted by: CornishCeltGuy
a reply to: notsure1

British laws are easy to negotiate, what more do you want? The right to say "I hope your baby gets raped to death and you have to watch it" ???
I don't want that right personally.
EDIT
I could still say that face to face, but online could be an issue if someone complained.
Either way, I don't want a society where it is acceptable to say # like that.
Do you? Really?

How did you feel about the guy training his dog the Nazi salute ? Were you grossly offended?

originally posted by: JBurns
a reply to: ScepticScot

I understand your point here. But SCOTUS is designed to interpret the law to ensure our rights aren't infringed. The fact they found congress making legislation abridging the free exercise of speech as Constitutional shows they made a mistake.

Sadly, our system was never intended for the government to maintain checks and balances on itself. Look at what they've done to our Grand Jury system. It used to be entirely independent and autonomous. Now, folks sickeningly muse that it would indict a ham sandwich if the government asked it to.

The lack of civic participation is another reason for this. So are the folks who believe entertainment television is more important than staying abreast of politics and other goings-on in government.

But yes, it is clear SCOTUS made a mistake in their "interpretation" because the Bill of Rights does not require interpretation. It is plain, as are the reasons for those 10 rights being enumerated. The Constitution doesn't grant us any rights, rather, it acts as an extra layer of protection against infringement of our natural, unalienable rights

One of those inalienable rights include:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Doing any of those things constitutes alienation and infringement of otherwise unalienable rights. The idea is that since government doesn't grant us these rights, they have no right to infringe upon them either. When it comes to the Bill of Rights, nothing take precedent: national security or otherwise.

I don't think it's a mistake as the rights were never meant to be absolute.

There is no right to threaten or intimate people.

There is no right to slander or libel.

There is no right to tell lies that directly endanger others.

There is no right to lie to commit fraud.

The idea that free speech is an absolute protection to say whatever you want free from legal consequence is clearly wrong.

originally posted by: notsure1

originally posted by: CornishCeltGuy
a reply to: notsure1

British laws are easy to negotiate, what more do you want? The right to say "I hope your baby gets raped to death and you have to watch it" ???
I don't want that right personally.
EDIT
I could still say that face to face, but online could be an issue if someone complained.
Either way, I don't want a society where it is acceptable to say # like that.
Do you? Really?

Yes I want a society where it is acceptable to say anything I want. Because people get mad and say horrible things they dont mean all the time.

Sticks and stones can break your bones but words can never hurt me..

That's never going to happen though, you can't be given the freedom to make bomb threats. What you describe is how UK law works in practice. Police are generally very kind and friendly outside major cities where they have to be defensive, they're more likely to have a cup of tea and chat and ask you kindly not to do such a thing again.

When I'd done it, police only came due to Curries complaint as I'd humiliated her for a good month with loads of dirt on her and colourful language. The murder of MP Jo Cox by some online nutjob had recently happened. They just

Character assasination causes lifelong hurt and high suicide rate as do stalking abusive relationships and repeated threats to kill - the Nazi dog thing is stupid but restrictions exist for a reason. The playground mantra only holds in the playground. It's easy to make people lose their jobs, families, get beaten up by the neighbourhood to the point they have to flee with false claims of kiddy fiddling or similar. Language can and does have major consequences.

originally posted by: notsure1

originally posted by: CornishCeltGuy
a reply to: notsure1

British laws are easy to negotiate, what more do you want? The right to say "I hope your baby gets raped to death and you have to watch it" ???
I don't want that right personally.
EDIT
I could still say that face to face, but online could be an issue if someone complained.
Either way, I don't want a society where it is acceptable to say # like that.
Do you? Really?

How did you feel about the guy training his dog the Nazi salute ? Were you grossly offended?

Heck no, I didn't care to be honest. I remember thinking he foolishly overstepped the mark by teaching the dog to do a Hitler salute when he said "Shall we gas the Jews" though.
I also think the £800 fine he got was ridiculously high for 'offence', my son rolled his car in a drunk driving crash a few years ago and he got a £200 fine. But to be fair 'nazi' dog' guy was in Scotland and they have their own legal system so it's difficult for me to comment on that.
Certainly, so long as I can still legally insult someone face to face or by holding a sign in town I'm not too worried about the digital communications act and 'gross offence' because it's not something I plan to do.
Only keyboard warriors feel the need for the right to cause 'gross offence' online in my opinion.
Me, I prefer to call someone a # to their face and see how it develops. It is illegal for someone to attack me for calling them a # so if they do I can legally use 'reasonable force' to defend myself. I like British law, it means you can pick a fight with insults and they get arrested if they threw the first punch.

In communist England, Facebook posts arrest you.


Me thinks some of their population would be better served to take up arms against or leave and find some remote island across the Atlantic to move to.

a reply to: MysticPearl

Lol behave, it ain't communist here, we have a conservative government for a start screwing the poor people.
And as far as this OP goes, have you not checked the comments on the police facebook post? The "Wakefield Rural" branch is a tiny group which isn't even comprised of more than a couple of 'pretend' police 'community support officers' who don't carry sticks and can't even make arrests as a constable can.
This tiny rural police branch get a handful of comments on their regular fb posts but this one has attracted over 7000 many from people in the area, absolutely ripping the piss out of them with no fear.
The cops have completely lost control of this on social media now, and they know it. They have shamed themselves and I bet their HQ is holding their heads in their hands and hoping it will go away.
It is hilarious, but you wouldn't know that if you only read the OP. The cops have lost this online battle, here's a link, just have a read to see the abuse they're getting back, Brits are not scared to call them out online...
Hick/Hillbilly Wakefield rural inbred police fb post

The U.K. Is what happens when liberals are in control. It's disgusting

originally posted by: Mintbisti
The U.K. Is what happens when liberals are in control. It's disgusting

Liberals are not in control though, we have a fairly right wing conservative government. At least check wiki first before making lame one-liners lol.
I bet you haven't read the comments on the cops fb page either? Brits are absolutely ripping the piss out of them and the police have totally lost control of it. Brits are not afraid to fight back and the police have basically shamed themselves with that pathetic 'threat'
It is comedy gold.

originally posted by: notsure1

originally posted by: CornishCeltGuy
a reply to: notsure1

British laws are easy to negotiate, what more do you want? The right to say "I hope your baby gets raped to death and you have to watch it" ???
I don't want that right personally.
EDIT
I could still say that face to face, but online could be an issue if someone complained.
Either way, I don't want a society where it is acceptable to say # like that.
Do you? Really?

Yes I want a society where it is acceptable to say anything I want. Because people get mad and say horrible things they dont mean all the time.

Sticks and stones can break your bones but words can never hurt me..

Sorry, I missed this.
Well I hope you live in the type of society you want, because I know I do.

a reply to: MysticPearl


Communist England? We have a right wing Conservative Government here.

Seems that there are a lot of Yanks on here who have no clue about this country or it's laws dogpiling in with their ignorance on show for all to see.

That Nazi dog salute thing? It was in bloody Scotland, not England, and he repeatedly said "Gas the Jews". Hilarious, eh?

As for freedom of speech, we are just fine over here thanks. Unless Corbyn gets in with his plans to muzzle our press. As for the US, now their legal system is just one steaming pile. Offend someone over in the good ole US of A and you can get hit with a civil suit for millions of $'s. And, your Police can just shoot you if they don't like the look of you. That's if you don't get hosed down by some maniac armed with an assault rifle first.

You lot need to sort yourselves out before poking your nose in over here.

What about your broken political system? You had a choice of Trump or Hillary, for God's sake. So don't have the nerve to tell us how to do things.

a reply to: CornishCeltGuy


Thanks for posting the link. Very funny and the Police are getting well and truly ripped. Free speech right in your faces right there, Yanks.

Mind you, all this right-on politically correct policing is a bit lame. "Hi Visibility Bike Patrols" - ie Hobby Bobbies on pushbikes. That'll teach those crims.

originally posted by: Mintbisti
The U.K. Is what happens when liberals are in control. It's disgusting

Emmmm you think the liberals are in charge.

Funny

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin


Someone else apparently thinks the Communists are in charge here.

originally posted by: oldcarpy
a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin


Someone else apparently thinks the Communists are in charge here.

Huh that’s confusing

So depending on what uninformed numpty your listening to the we are either being run by liberals, communists, socialists, a monarchy dictatorship or radical isalmists.....something doesn’t add up.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin


Not surprising really. Just look at your average American's knowledge of Geography.