NationStates Jolt Archive

For those who feel that some of the posts have gone beyond what is considered "Free Speech" with regards to threats made against the President of the U.S., please consider the following...

http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa040398.htm

"...or publicly stating a desire to see the President harmed are not only acts of shameful disrespect, they should always be considered threats under the law. "

and...

http://www.ustreas.gov/usss/faq.shtml#protect

How can I report a threat towards a protectee?

Contact your nearest USSS field office (listed in the "Emergency Numbers" section in the front of most phone books.

and the list of Field Offices...

http://www.ustreas.gov/usss/field_offices.shtml

Regards,
Gaar

*Sigh* And there I was, ambling along, liking you.

My consolation is that you're probably trolling.

If not, you DO know that there's the whole Freedom of Speech stuff, right? And that whilst saying "i h8 bush he shud dy!" is far from the most erudite way of putting things, people DO have the right to say it. Please. Don't encourage anymore intelligence services stupidty.

Anyone else here about that girl on LiveJournal who got reported for an anti-Bush rant and actually got a visit from the "sekkrit service"? You know, the one who lived with her parents and wrote Harry Potter gay porn?

I seriously hope no-one here is petty and vindictive enough to report someone who's not a genuine thread out of spite.

*Sigh* And there I was, ambling along, liking you.

My consolation is that you're probably trolling.

If not, you DO know that there's the whole Freedom of Speech stuff, right? And that whilst saying "i h8 bush he shud dy!" is far from the most erudite way of putting things, people DO have the right to say it. Please. Don't encourage anymore intelligence services stupidty.

They can criticize him in any way they see fit...

To say they want him DEAD is another matter ENTIRELY, in my mind.

Regards,
Gaar

Amazing as it may seem, there are limits to free speech, even in the USA. For example, try boarding an aircraft while holding a sign that reads "I have a bomb - just kidding!"

Same goes for online boards. Never post something which you would not say in public. If you were to place a column in your local newspaper that says "I want to put a bullet in the head of John Doe, my student body president and all of his friends." Then you would expect to be investigated. Same if it were your neighbor, your chief of police, your mayor, governor or commander in chief.

With freedom comes responsibility and vica-versa.

wanting him dead and actually doing something about it are two very different things

"i wish Bush was dead" is not the same as "im going to make sure Bush is dead"

Saying 'I wish ____ was dead' is flaming. Seeing as Bush is not a member of this forum, he's not protected from that.

Saying 'I am going to kill ____' is a threat, and that player would likely be deleted whether '____' was a member of this forum or otherwise.