‘The US Supreme Court will consider a ground breaking case today about whether those who post death threats on Facebook are liable to prosecution or whether threatening comments are protected by constitutional rights to free speech.’ AFP article in the mypaper on 1 Dec.
The case was about a Anthon Elonis who posted this in his Facebook about his wife. ‘There’s one way to love you but 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. Hurry up ad die, bitch.’
was charged in court and sentenced to 44 months in prison. He appealed but the appeals court upheld the conviction. Now the case is taken to the US Supreme Court. The Supreme Court will decide if what Elonis wrote ‘constiture a “true threat” or were harmless because he did not intend to act on his words.’ According to US law, a threat is a statement that a reasonable person would interpret as a serious expression of intent to do harm to another person.
This case is interesting and I would like to point to the similarities of the threat against me by Raymond posted in my blog and I quote:
As for who I am, don't worry. We'll meet some day--at your funeral.
Please make sure your obituary includes a mugshot of your ugly face.
October 29, 2014 1:22 pm
As a reasonable man, I feel threatened, that my life is being threatened by this blogger called Raymond. And he even dared me to make a police report. He refused to apologise or explain what he meant by his posts. And he added this post to my demand for a clarification on his intent.
Raymond said...
LOL! Go ahead, you crazy old wanker. I dare you.
October 30, 2014 8:31 am
I am still waiting for this Raymond to explain his intent. The case is now with the police.
Kopi Level - Blue, thank you.
The latitude for First Amendment Rights (free and protected speech) is very wide.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling the US court will rule protecting free expression of hatred -- which allowed.
We shall see. Anton Scalia, Clarence Thomas and a few others are free speech justices. The context is the anger between spouses which quite understandably gets heated. Ie: if two people share intimate relationship, disagreements will tend to be acrimonious.
This is not the same context of 2 participants in a blog getting wound up in a political discussion lah.
It is every citizen's basic right to seek police intervention if a threat is perceived. As far as Singapore internet/liable/slander law goes, it is different than the USA. In Singapore you can't even call someone a cunt in public -- that's slander. In the USA you can call the President any name you like and wishes he gets killed,and your right to say those things are PROTECTED.
Anyhow, time will tell. I'm more confident of making a call on the US case. In redbean's Singapore complaint, anything can happen.
The local law enforcement doesn't give a shit about the American Bill of Rights, which encompass the 1st Amendment to the original constitution.
Hope the police can nail this bastard. How could he think he can go around threatening people? Who is behind him that he thinks he is above the law? Expose him and his backers and shame them.
ReplyDelete@ 1059:
ReplyDeleteSure, expose and shame...that's the nature of the net. But calling the cops? Please lah, that's overreacting IMO.
@ redbean
ReplyDeleteI don't give a shit about what you think. Do whatever the fuck you want.
In my post I did state: "IMO” in my opinion. Ie.you do what you do,I don't care. I'll just observe and comment. Like I do about the weather,or the traffic or anything else I can't control ;-)
Then what the fuck are you so worked up for?
ReplyDeleteFuck you lah MS. You are one of them is it? Why you so defensive?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCheapskate. No wonder smell like hell.
ReplyDeleteThis monyet trying to protect his own kind is so obvious. He always pretends to be talking like a nut case but actually all the time trying to undermine RB's views to serve his masters.
ReplyDeleteIt is never good to be extreme in words or actions. Once the line is crossed, consequences will follow.
ReplyDeleteThink old uncles poor poor???
ReplyDeleteAt least we still can afford underwear.
Wait till time your turn to be old uncles or maybe cannot see sunset today, have to wear banana leaves for under wear.
By your time mostly can only have 5k token withdrawal or nil from cpf to last twenty years.
@virgo 49:
ReplyDeleteJo,I'm already a certified uncle lah.
I save on underwear by not wearing any most of the time. I wear sarong...even in Aust. Sarong: the ultimate wash and wear. One size, fits all, most of the time.
Many moons ago I used to sell over priced Aussie real estate to blur financially illiterate Singaporeans with more money than common sense.
When I was in Singapore, I used to use the office of a well known local firm situated in Shenton Way. I lunched at Change Alley and Lau Pasat. I used to notice this cute chick. Turns out she's a CPA formerly from Temasek JC, working at Deloitte, also in Shenton Way.
So we have lunch,and were an item for awhile -- my "companion" during my real estate sales trips to Singapore. She was the one who advised me: "Take out your CPF and BUY SOMETHING...anything, small HDB...just take that money out, as much as you can, as soon as you can. They are going to change the rules. You need to look after your interests."
At first I thought this woman was nuts. But she convinced me by her feminine charms, and I am eternally grateful. I've no idea where she is now, but she'll be well and truly "aunty-fied" by now.
Wah kaninah. All the backlash I got from friends and especially kaypoh kias in the family. "You're mad! You're stupid listening to that girl! You're making decisions based on intimate emotions! You'll have no money for retirement!"
So now I say a big "fuck you all very much!".
You want your CPF? Good luck on that, fuckers! Go Hong Lim and shout your balls off lah! Many of those people who wished me failure regularly write in the press and protest at HLP. Fuck them.
You see Virgo 49, these hostile people were all hoping to be RIGHT and see me squirm in financial hardship. I'm old school: you do me a kindness, I'll reciprocate. You come at me with hostility, and hope I fail, I'll do the fuck-you dance in your face when I prove you wrong.
Now you know when I say:
Living well is THE BEST revenge.
You so famous, so many people know you and jealous of you?
ReplyDeleteI am one of the many who do not know you and do not care a fuck about you. You mean people go to HLP because of you?
You seow. Go back to IMH.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete