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Teenager facing terrorism charges for something he posted on Facebook

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Re: Teenager facing terrorism charges for something he posted on Facebook

#81

Post by cafard »

LaurelCrowned wrote: post #52
btilly wrote: post #28

This sounds to me like nothing more than an abuse of power by a DA. Those are much more common than people realize. As an example, in a recent case that I'm familiar with in Oregon, a man that I personally know was unjustly charged with 4 criminal charges that the DA knew were unjustified. He fought. He won. He now has, in addition to a crushing legal bill, a bill for the time he spent locked up in prison on trumped…

>But in my opinion the biggest single factor is that the DA in question is an investor in the private jail to which he sends people. This is happening more than it should. Lots of hands are reaching into the private prisons industry's resources (cheap labor). Some towns are investing HEAVILY in private prisons. The prisoners that are "good" get to work making products that can easily undercut any competitor. When a w…

A couple of guys in Scranton have gone to a non-private prison for running in teenagers on bogus or exaggerated charges and taking kickbacks from the private prison company.

Re: Teenager facing terrorism charges for something he posted on Facebook

#82

Post by fixxer »

Intermernet wrote: post #79
fixxer wrote: post #40

This kid is 100% idiot and deserves some major ridicule, but he isn't a threat and doesn't appear to have done anything actually illegal. This DA is wasting time and money, which offends me far more. I wish terrorists actually did post their intent on Facebook.

What qualifies him as "100%" idiot, deserving of "major ridicule"? Do you know him personally and just thought you'd insult him, or are you basing your derision off one article and a couple of posts online?

Here is his quote:

"F* a boston bomb wait till u see the s* I do, I’m be famous rapping, and beat every murder charge that comes across me!"

You're telling me this is intelligent? You think this is free speech?

The punishment, in this case, should be community service with victims of the Boston bombing. I'm not saying this kid doesn't have potential, but putting that online shows a lack of sense and/or empathy. He can learn that while helping people who have lost limbs.

Prison time is rediculous, I'll agree (as I did in my previous post)... still think he's an idiot, though, and this is not a free speech issue that I'm going to defend. We have bigger problems here in the States, Mike.

Re: Teenager facing terrorism charges for something he posted on Facebook

#83

Post by Intermernet »

fixxer wrote: post #82
Intermernet wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What qualifies him as "100%" idiot, deserving of "major ridicule"? Do you know him personally and just thought you'd insult him, or are you basing your derision off one article and a couple of posts online?

Here is his quote: "F * a boston bomb wait till u see the s * I do, I’m be famous rapping, and beat every murder charge that comes across me!" You're telling me this is intelligent? You think this is free speech? The punishment, in this case, should be community service with victims of the Boston bombing. I'm not saying this kid doesn't have potential, but putting that online shows a lack of sense and/or empathy. He…

They're lyrics. Admittedly puerile and tasteless, but every lyricists from Shakespeare to Springsteen (and lots of others that don't alliterate as well) can be accused of stupid lyrics in at least some of their works.

I don't like blanket value judgements of people's intelligence based on a ridiculously small sample group of their behaviours. It's sensationalist, reactionary and half of what I see wrong with society.

EDIT: I'd also like to say that you, sir, are responsible for one of my favourite HN comments in the last few weeks (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5702566). I beleive that made me giggle while drinking tea, and almost burnt my sinuses :-)

Re: Teenager facing terrorism charges for something he posted on Facebook

#84

Post by fixxer »

Intermernet wrote: post #83
fixxer wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here is his quote: "F * a boston bomb wait till u see the s * I do, I’m be famous rapping, and beat every murder charge that comes across me!" You're telling me this is intelligent? You think this is free speech? The punishment, in this case, should be community service with victims of the Boston bombing. I'm not saying this kid doesn't have potential, but putting that online shows a lack of sense and/or empathy. He…

They're lyrics. Admittedly puerile and tasteless, but every lyricists from Shakespeare to Springsteen (and lots of others that don't alliterate as well) can be accused of stupid lyrics in at least some of their works. I don't like blanket value judgements of people's intelligence based on a ridiculously small sample group of their behaviours. It's sensationalist, reactionary and half of what I see wrong with society.…

What is more wrong with society, in my opinion, is that we interpret "the right to free speech" as "the right to say nonsense".

You can call his words whatever you want. I'm not signing a petition or going to war to protect Cammy Dee. This is not free speech.

I'll save my energy for Ai Weiwei,

EDIT: Thanx!

Re: Teenager facing terrorism charges for something he posted on Facebook

#85

Post by icebraining »

fixxer wrote: post #84
Intermernet wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're lyrics. Admittedly puerile and tasteless, but every lyricists from Shakespeare to Springsteen (and lots of others that don't alliterate as well) can be accused of stupid lyrics in at least some of their works. I don't like blanket value judgements of people's intelligence based on a ridiculously small sample group of their behaviours. It's sensationalist, reactionary and half of what I see wrong with society.…

What is more wrong with society, in my opinion, is that we interpret "the right to free speech" as "the right to say nonsense". You can call his words whatever you want. I'm not signing a petition or going to war to protect Cammy Dee. This is not free speech. I'll save my energy for Ai Weiwei, EDIT: Thanx!

This is not free speech

"Free" is not a characteristic of the content of the speech; it's a characteristic of the consequences of such speech.

You're right that this speech wasn't free, but that's because the kid's in jail, not because it's "nonsense".

What is more wrong with society, in my opinion, is that we interpret "the right to free speech" as "the right to say nonsense".

When you say that some speech doesn't deserve freedom because it's "nonsense", you give those who want to silence speech an easy way - just label it as "nonsense". And after all, ideological dissent is almost by definition "nonsense" to those who believe in the status quo.

Re: Teenager facing terrorism charges for something he posted on Facebook

#86

Post by fixxer »

icebraining wrote: post #85
fixxer wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is more wrong with society, in my opinion, is that we interpret "the right to free speech" as "the right to say nonsense". You can call his words whatever you want. I'm not signing a petition or going to war to protect Cammy Dee. This is not free speech. I'll save my energy for Ai Weiwei, EDIT: Thanx!

This is not free speech "Free" is not a characteristic of the content of the speech; it's a characteristic of the consequences of such speech. You're right that this speech wasn't free, but that's because the kid's in jail, not because it's "nonsense". What is more wrong with society, in my opinion, is that we interpret "the right to free speech" as "the right to say nonsense". When you say that some speech doesn't d…

By "nonsense", I mean inflammatory speech with no defined purpose. I base this on social norms because this is a society.

I get the argument you're trying to make. 99% of the time, I'd roll with you. The real exercise of free speech in this whole thing is our dialogue, which I will fight for. I'm not going to fight for Cammy Dee, however.

Re: Teenager facing terrorism charges for something he posted on Facebook

#87

Post by dragonikola »

jmadsen wrote: post #75
dragonikola wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then arrest just enough to fill up the prisons. You think America could ever run short on prison space? Prisons are our fastest growing form of housing.

not gonna sit and go back & forth, but prisons are growing because of current state levels of 115% capacity & federal levels of 136% ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_incarceration_rat... ) I'd say they are "all filled up"

Prisons are overfilled because there is a will to overfill them. The fact of overfilled prisons supports my point--that the justice system is happy & eager to fill the prisons to the bursting point. Instead of letting prisoners go free or reducing the number of prosecutions, the response has been to build more prisons. This won't stop anytime soon and supports my point.

Re: Teenager facing terrorism charges for something he posted on Facebook

#88

Post by hamburglar »

Intermernet wrote: post #78
hamburglar wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We need to get Eric Clapton in jail for shooting that Sheriff pronto.

I think Bob Marley shot that Sheriff first. Unlucky Sheriff (very lucky deputy...)

Yeah, I was originally going to say Bob Marley, but it doesn't really make much sense to demand putting Bob Marley in jail. :)

Re: Teenager facing terrorism charges for something he posted on Facebook

#89

Post by pasbesoin »

btilly wrote: post #37
gizmo686 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a bill for the time he spent locked up in prison on trumped up charges? Am I reading this right? Are you saying that they charge you for time you spend involuntarily in prison?

Yes. That surprised me as well.

If the issue is so reduced to the matter of an (involuntary) private contract (as far as I see it; "owing" a private entity for "services" received), then as far as I can see, the prison as a private entity should be charged with kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment.

I'm not saying that's the way things do work, in practice. But it seems the counter-point to their argument that the prisoner should pay for this imprisonment.

I hope some competent and socially-minded lawyers turn this into a multi-million dollar settlement. (Of course, they wouldn't make out so badly in that, either.)

It's also a strong argument, I think, for outlawing the privatization of prisons. When government determines imprisonment is needed, there should be no shirking directly executing that duty. And when government turns out to be wrong, it should pay -- for starters, the direct costs of its mistake, not to mention appropriate compensation to the wronged party.

This would also mean DA's could not directly invest in the prisons they are filling. Disgusting.

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