Facebook Troll Sentenced

[WaterShake]

Facebook 'troll' Sean Duffy sentenced for offensive Sophie Taylor image

To summarise, Sean Duffy (26 years old) posted an offensive photoshop picture on Facebook (mocking a couple killed in an accidental shooting). He has since been sentenced to serve 300 hours of community service, placed under supervision for 2 years and banned from social networking sites.

What do you guys think of this?

[Entice]

It's about time, I was getting tired of having the right to free speech.

[Asperchu]

At 43 seconds ago, bgraybr wrote: It's about time, I was getting tired of having the right to free speech.

Me to bro high five!

Thank god I live in america

[Squidbit]

Since when is it illegal to make fun of people? Even if it's not funny.

[tox]

trolls getting sentenced..
why didnt they just send his info to anon

[NekoMika]

Well he was making fun of people who died who had recently died in a shooting, no one is going to be finding it funny.

[Entice]

At 1 minute ago, SCTE3 wrote: Well he was making fun of people who died who had recently died in a shooting, no one is going to be finding it funny.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to have to watch my jokes lest I be locked up for making one that's not funny. If we're gonna take it that far we might as well sentence people for saying anything offensive, period. That's getting into a lot of subjective shit. That's not really a free society, it's a "if you don't agree with the majority you get punished" society.

[Slint]

Anyone has the picture?

[PoopyMcButt]

Boo woo, he made fun of dead people. If people were that offended they should have just unfriended him. Laws can't change the morality of people.

[WaterShake]

At 1 minute ago, Slint wrote: Anyone has the picture?

Working on it. Found this so far.

Source

inb4 eyerolls at Daily Mail as a source

[Gagsy]

Good. I hope that it continues to happen to these people who insist on mocking the loved ones of people who have passed on.

My bosses husband died and one of her kids ended up having trouble with a boy at school who kept sending him horrible texts about his 'rotting daddy in the ground', and a lot more disturbing than that. Its not big and its not clever. Its just downright cruel.

[Skaren]

At 13 minutes ago, Dew wrote: About time. The people who openly mock and make fun of murders deaths and other related material need to get their heads checked. There's nothing funny about people dying, and to think that there are people that will go out and make fun of that is not only infuriating, but down right wrong.

I have mixed feelings about this. I do agree with you that death is usually not funny, and people who claim that it is are usually the "hey guys, I'm dark, can I be your friend on the internet now?" type of people. However, if spun the right way it can be funny, and I'm not sure that the troll deserved such harsh punishment for a joke, although I haven't seen what the joke was.

[Entice]

At 2 minutes ago, Gagsy wrote: Good. I hope that it continues to happen to these people who insist on mocking the loved ones of people who have passed on.

You shouldn't even take what the joke was into consideration, but consider what exactly he's being punished for. This is a free speech issue. Though, from the looks of it he did harass the family to some extent. Harassment is a completely different thing and should bring about some sort of punishment.

Overall though, it's an absolutely stupid idea to punish someone for making statements that are considered offensive.

[Rallard]

Not condoning this behavior, but punishing someone for a cruel joke is kind of... dumb. He got more hours of community service than my friend got for his second underage DUI. My friend recklessly drove and could have killed people, and he receives less community service than someone who photoshopped a picture to mock someone's death.

Keep making fun of us for being fat, UK, but at least we have our rights.

[Entice]

At 1 minute ago, Dew wrote: Also, the law and laws that govern a country or city or whatever have an obligation to uphold the basis of a good society, to not only protect it's citizens but also uphold a standard of morality or behavior for its citizens to follow.

I sure hope not.

The only role of government in my eyes is to protect people and preserve their freedom. Define a "good" citizen. There's no definition that isn't subjective. So no, why should people be punished for being "immoral"? That's just rule by religion or popular opinion.

[WaterShake]

At 8 minutes ago, bgraybr wrote:

At 1 minute ago, Dew wrote: Also, the law and laws that govern a country or city or whatever have an obligation to uphold the basis of a good society, to not only protect it's citizens but also uphold a standard of morality or behavior for its citizens to follow.

...That's just rule by popular opinion.

You do understand how democracy works right?

[WaterShake]

At 8 minutes ago, SeanJoystick wrote:

SO what if it was a spam bot posting on that kids page.
Are they gonna arrest a robot,
Bitches,

We should probably stop arresting people for murder too I guess. I mean what are we gonna do if they're killed by a drone? Arrest a robot.

Stupid bitches

[Entice]

At 47 seconds ago, WaterShake wrote: You do understand how democracy works right?

Yes, but though the majority has the most voice they should be limited in their treatment of the minorities. That's how it's set up in the U.S.

I'm talking about if the majority had absolute control without bounds.

[Painbringer]

Maybe the authorities decided to punish him to avoid angry mob vigilantism against him.

He must have really been abused as a child to bottom-troll the grieving like that.

[WaterShake]

At 38 seconds ago, bgraybr wrote:

At 47 seconds ago, WaterShake wrote: You do understand how democracy works right?

Yes, but though the majority has the most voice they should be limited in their treatment of the minorities. That's how it's set up in the U.S.

I'm talking about if the majority had absolute control without bounds.

I'll say it again. You do understand how democracy works right?

[Entice]

At 1 minute ago, Dew wrote: I'll make it simple. If you take a 100 people and you jab them with a knife, how many of those 100 people will like it?

Violent action isn't comparable to speech. Speech should only be controlled if there's an implied action (e.g. "I'm gonna kill you!"). There wasn't in this case.

The kid who did it is being a troll, everyone can see it, but he's probably just butthurt over something stupid that the girl did to him at some point or another, and the route he has chosen to display that anger or frustration is an immature and stupid one. He deserves what he got, because he is doing for no other reason then to hurt other people, and that behavior should never be ignored or condoned.

No one was actually hurt, just offended. Arguably, he was harassing the people and that would warrant some punishment however.

Ignoring something that is wrong is the exact same thing as condoning it.

I disagree.

At 3 minutes ago, WaterShake wrote: I'll say it again. You do understand how democracy works right?

I understand what you're getting at, but the U.S. isn't exactly a democracy. For example, the members of the Westboro Baptist Church haven't been locked up or executed even though they're a tiny minority that's almost universally hated. Nor should they be.

[WaterShake]

At 1 minute ago, bgraybr wrote:

For example, the members of the Westboro Baptist Church haven't been locked up or executed even though they're a tiny minority that's almost universally hated. Nor should they be.

Fair point.

[Entice]

At 2 minutes ago, Dew wrote: If I were to ignore that the rape was taking place, I would be just as bad as the rapist.

Oh, I'd agree in that place. I just don't see how speech is comparable to rape.

Look at it this way, if someone says something mean to you does it actually impart harm? Can't you choose to simply ignore them?

If they repeatedly harass you then that's definitely a crime. If it's something online that you could easily block or ignore it's more of a grey area. Where do you draw the line with that anyways? Is it required by law to be polite or kind in your speech?

[Painbringer]

At 3 minutes ago, SeanJoystick wrote: Sure it may attract attention but you will get a lot of crap thrown in too.

This got me thinking:

It is not okay for him to troll a tribute page, yet it is okay for religious fanatics to protest at a gay man's funeral, saying things like "he is burning in Hell now" over a megaphone as the family mourns?

What if a group of trolls decided to organize a protest at the girl's funeral? Would their rights to free speech be upheld too?

[yurgenburgen]

At 58 minutes ago, bgraybr wrote: It's about time, I was getting tired of having the right to free speech.

Free speech doesn't cover the "right" to harass the families of murder/suicide victims.

[Richard]

At 1 hour ago, bgraybr wrote: It's about time, I was getting tired of having the right to free speech.

^ That right there.

[NeutralObjections]

And here's the line between free speech and being a total asshole.

You know if people were just considerate we wouldn't have to have these arguments.

But alas, we're flawed animalistic humans, I guess.

[NeutralObjections]

At 3 minutes ago, Travis wrote: Now wait just a second.

I know this is fucked up, but if this guy got legal action taken against him then how the hell is South Park still on the air?

Now, I am not saying we should take it off the air, I am just wondering why there is this double standard.

South Park is kind of faceless? While a single person is more of a target? Beats me.

[xSarCastiCx]

Most trolls just get detention, but then again most trolls are just children.

[Richard]

At 2 minutes ago, yurgenburgen wrote:

At 58 minutes ago, bgraybr wrote: It's about time, I was getting tired of having the right to free speech.

Free speech doesn't cover the "right" to harass the families of murder/suicide victims.

You're right. I should have to shut the fuck up every time I post something that you deem offensive because you're a victim.