Thoughtcrime

[BrassFusion]

damn, sg, i didn't think of that. they're scapegoating karson, in a way. they just want to look better after they dropped the ball when the REAL danger happened.

edit: damn, never mind. for some reason i thought i remembered that this kid was a va tech student. tsch. i can't believe they got all pissy about this way out in colorado.

[sinmantyx]

edit: damn, never mind. for some reason i thought i remembered that this kid was a va tech student. tsch. i can't believe they got all pissy about this way out in colorado.

Yeah, the fact that it was in a college classroom two days after the vt shooting and just a few days prior to the anniversary of the Columbine shootings in Colorado:

Why is anyone upset?

(sarcasm)

I just don't understand how many of us can second-guess the decisions and responses of several authorities and classmates of this guy from "way out in" Michigan.

WE do not know this guy. His classmates and his school know him better than we do. Scary Guy, I have no idea where you are pulling your assumptions from - but the difference between one of us saying that "we are going kick y'ass" or "if you say that again I'll castrate you with a butter-knife" and someone actually terrorizing someone else is actually very subtle on paper: but it's NOT a subtle difference in person.

Were any of us there? Nope.

It is REALLY difficult to make an assault charge stick due to how narrow (and rightly so) the law is written. It's difficult to quantify the body language and "tone of voice". So, just like "crazy guy" who threatened me: sometimes lesser charges are forwarded even though the real crime was making a death threat.

Seriously, what about the rights of his classmates? What? It's THEIR responsiblity to "get to know" this fucktard so if he happens to threaten to kill them, they will know he is just a fucktard?

I'm I the only one here is has been seriously threatened by someone else? Anyone here been made to be frightened enough that their normal routine is altered - that they feel the need to be guarded by friends?

I get the whole: I may not agree with what you say, but I'll fight to the death for your right to say it!

This isn't in the same catagory: if it were: stalking would not be a crime: interfering with other people's lives with threats or purposefully terrorizing others could not be addressed by authorities.

You can stand up for your cross-burners and bomb-threat callers and asshole attention hogs: but I'm not. In fact, I'm not standing up for people who lay in the parking lots of Planned Parenthood or link themselves around the World Bank meetings.

The moment you interfere with someone else going about their bussiness: it's not a free speech issue anymore - not in my eyes.

We had protesters at the porn store all the time: more power to them. There was a lady who would do her Rosery outside (walking back and forth). When did she cross the line? - When she starting helling at our UPS guy (who was just trying to do his job - who btw is the nicest freakin' person you'll ever meet) about how he was going to hell (or some such thing) for delivery packages to the store, got into his personal space and tried to get into his truck.

I blame this "max" person for treating Freedom of Speech like shit: not the authorities who are in a bad situation and have a responsibility to their students to maintain a non-hostile atmosphere devoid of such interference.

[Steven]

Yeah, the fact that it was in a college classroom two days after the vt shooting and just a few days prior to the anniversary of the Columbine shootings in Colorado:

Why is anyone upset?

(sarcasm)

I just don't understand how many of us can second-guess the decisions and responses of several authorities and classmates of this guy from "way out in" Michigan.

WE do not know this guy. His classmates and his school know him better than we do. Scary Guy, I have no idea where you are pulling your assumptions from - but the difference between one of us saying that "we are going kick y'ass" or "if you say that again I'll castrate you with a butter-knife" and someone actually terrorizing someone else is actually very subtle on paper: but it's NOT a subtle difference in person.

Were any of us there? Nope.

It is REALLY difficult to make an assault charge stick due to how narrow (and rightly so) the law is written. It's difficult to quantify the body language and "tone of voice". So, just like "crazy guy" who threatened me: sometimes lesser charges are forwarded even though the real crime was making a death threat.

Seriously, what about the rights of his classmates? What? It's THEIR responsiblity to "get to know" this fucktard so if he happens to threaten to kill them, they will know he is just a fucktard?

I'm I the only one here is has been seriously threatened by someone else? Anyone here been made to be frightened enough that their normal routine is altered - that they feel the need to be guarded by friends?

I get the whole: I may not agree with what you say, but I'll fight to the death for your right to say it!

This isn't in the same catagory: if it were: stalking would not be a crime: interfering with other people's lives with threats or purposefully terrorizing others could not be addressed by authorities.

You can stand up for your cross-burners and bomb-threat callers and asshole attention hogs: but I'm not. In fact, I'm not standing up for people who lay in the parking lots of Planned Parenthood or link themselves around the World Bank meetings.

The moment you interfere with someone else going about their bussiness: it's not a free speech issue anymore - not in my eyes.

We had protesters at the porn store all the time: more power to them. There was a lady who would do her Rosery outside (walking back and forth). When did she cross the line? - When she starting helling at our UPS guy (who was just trying to do his job - who btw is the nicest freakin' person you'll ever meet) about how he was going to hell (or some such thing) for delivery packages to the store, got into his personal space and tried to get into his truck.

I blame this "max" person for treating Freedom of Speech like shit: not the authorities who are in a bad situation and have a responsibility to their students to maintain a non-hostile atmosphere devoid of such interference.

Have I ever been threatened - legtimately where there was true danger involved from a predator? Yes, several times. And I have seen the end result of that personally. Someone in here said something to the effect that nobody would pre-announce their intentions to cause harm. that's just not true. Predators are often boastful and the authorities seldom if ever spend time and resources on a premptive plan. I've had the cops tell me before: "you need to move, we dont have time to hang out around your house...."

what that idiot did by hassling the UPS man and picketing your place of business is more akin to stupidity and harrassment then an actual threat.

But what the student did was much more borderline epsecially in light of the recent circumstances. And as I've stated before, I think we're on the cusp of a dangerous American trend.

[sinmantyx]

what that idiot did by hassling the UPS man and picketing your place of business is more akin to stupidity and harrassment then an actual threat.

Yeah, she wasn't actually threatening him. I was just using it as an illustration of: your rights end where mine begin.

[Troy Spiral (13)]

From a distanced perspective you'd think college would be probably the MOST free place to speak your mind in terms of a learning environment. But in practice, school is probably one of the most restrictive speech environments there are, gotta save them kiddies from all the BAD ideas... since u know god forbid they have a subversive thought.

Having said that, suck it up kid. Fell off the turnip truck and don't know what is and isn't acceptable? People get away with this type of verbiage and you didn't? Sucks to be you.

[know_buddy_kares]

I for one think the whole thing was fucking rediculous, the "no, not all of you" had me laughing. Students that were too "afraid" to go to class because of that need to just toughen up. I've had my life threatened countless times (some of which were legit threats) However I refuse to let them scare me, or let fear control my actions. Truth is, any one of us could die tomorrow, in any fashion from an unknown health problem, to a wild rabid dog biting your face off. This country has become too timid and sheepish when it comes to danger, safety is the illusion, danger is the reality. For us to fear danger and depend on the "nice" government to make honest decisions and actually think that they have our best interests at heart is just asking for problems. The kids that were afraid of that guy's death threats are fuckin pussies in my book.

[sinmantyx]

I for one think the whole thing was fucking rediculous, the "no, not all of you" had me laughing. Students that were too "afraid" to go to class because of that need to just toughen up. I've had my life threatened countless times (some of which were legit threats) However I refuse to let them scare me, or let fear control my actions. Truth is, any one of us could die tomorrow, in any fashion from an unknown health problem, to a wild rabid dog biting your face off. This country has become too timid and sheepish when it comes to danger, safety is the illusion, danger is the reality. For us to fear danger and depend on the "nice" government to make honest decisions and actually think that they have our best interests at heart is just asking for problems. The kids that were afraid of that guy's death threats are fuckin pussies in my book.

I don't entirely disagree with you. However, that doesn't change the fact that we were not there. We can't and don't understand the context well enough to make a reasoned decision regarding whether or not the class was over-reacting. They very well may have been.

As someone who currently DOES have a responsibility of maintaining a non-hostile non-threatening environment for students: I can certainly almost immediately empathize with the authorities. I'm not ruling out the possibility that how they reacted was over-the-top; but I do understand the position they found themselves in because of this kid.

I can say without reservation that I think this "Max" person is extremely immature and needs to grow the fuck up. I must admit that I've pigeon-holed him into a certain "type" of arrogant narcissistic college student; that everyone who has been in academia for any length of time (as student and teacher) has met many, many times before.

The legal question is a different question, however. It'll get sorted out eventually, by the people actually involved. I don't think there is any fear that he will not get adequate representation as far as that is concerned.