Scottish police arrest man for offensive comments about refugees.

[Kalis]

all of which drunk driving fits under, however threats do not neatly fit under any reasonable definition of offence in the "taking offence" definition of the word

Nobody said 'taking offence', the police said he's been charged with making a "...series of alleged offensive posts...".

[Deleted]

Nobody said 'taking offence', the police said he's been charged with making a "...series of alleged offensive posts...".

"Offensive" in this case is akin to "taking offense" or "alleged offensive posts."

Offense ultimately has two definitions (one describing a specific feeling people might feel upon witnessing something they find upsetting) and the other refers to a breach of law.

[Dextroden]

Nobody said 'taking offence', the police said he's been charged with making a "...series of alleged offensive posts...".

So, someone took offense with his posts?

[Kalis]

The idea is the same. Only horrible monsters could get picked up for this. When it's very possible for him to be grabbed for saying fuck these refugess.

It has to go to court yet, the police have said they've arrested someone and what the charge is and given a general statement that bad things won't be tolerated, that's all - perhaps it is best to not jump to conclusions without even knowing what was supposedly said.

Does having the Chelsea Headhunter mean you're going to kill any Syrians?

I've never had a Chelsea Headhunter, they're generally a bit too ugly and male for my personal tastes.

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So, someone took offense with his posts?

You do know that we have legal terminology in the UK, don't you? Your weak attempts at playing word games on your own is a bit pointless.

[Canpinter]

Nobody said 'taking offence', the police said he's been charged with making a "...series of alleged offensive posts...".

ok there are two definitions of offence

you have offence as in something that offends your feelings like "his use of swearing was very offensive"

and you have the offence as in a criminal offence as in "murder is a class 1 criminal offence"

shadowmeld was trying to imply that being arrest for "offensive speech" was the police using the second definition when anyone with 3 brain cells can tell that they meant the first definition unless they are extremely stupid in their use of terms.

[Dextroden]

It has to go to court yet, the police have said they've arrested someone and what the charge is and given a general statement that bad things won't be tolerated, that's all - perhaps it is best to not jump to conclusions without even knowing what was supposedly said.



I've never had a Chelsea Headhunter, they're generally a bit too ugly and male for my personal tastes.

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You do know that we have legal terminology in the UK, don't you? Your weak attempts at playing word games on your own is a bit pointless.

Oh god fucking dammit. Your damning evidence is supporting a football club? Yay googling later.

Making a giant example out of some idiot who posted "I hate refugees" is going to look really fucking stupid. They better hope he actually threatened to hurt somebody.

[Kalis]

Oh god fucking dammit. Your damning evidence is supporting a football club? Yay googling later.

That is my evidence of him likely being a racist, considering that they are a notoriously racist group. It isn't support for a football club, I'm guessing he's probably a Rangers supporter.

I don't have any evidence for or against him committing the crime, I've already stated that.

[Dextroden]

That is my evidence of him likely being a racist, considering that they are a notoriously racist group. It isn't support for a football club, I'm guessing he's probably a Rangers supporter.

I don't have any evidence for or against him committing the crime, I've already stated that.

Then what does his tastes in clubs have to do with this topic?

[Canpinter]

I'm so glad i live in the USA where this kinda shit is alot less likely to happen, bless you first amendment.

[Kronik85]

what i make of it is your a totalitarian who doesn't believe in actual freedom but only in the freedom of those you agree with and that you are worthy of contempt

I believe in responsibility. But seriously just don't live here.

[Canpinter]

I believe in responsibility. But seriously just don't live here.

you believe in punishing people you disagree with, and i don't plan on living anywhere where i have to worry about going to jail for hurting someones feelings

[Kronik85]

We should not be ruling that a comment is too 'offensive' or 'obscene' or 'indecent' and prosecuting people for that. Those terms should be taken out of our legislation because they are so fundamentally subjective. If a comment includes a threat, fine. If a comment includes incitement, fine. If a comment is libel, fine. Those are things that can cause direct harm and can be objectively determined.


Okay.

Accepting that as true for the purposes of example: that would be prohibited not on the basis of 'offense', 'indecency' or 'obscenity' but because they were trying to start a racist misinformation campaign about a group of people.

As much as I don't like the scope of our laws when it comes to racist remarks those 3 terms really need removing from our legislation.[/QUOTE]

When the courts are chock full of people who have merely written stupid posts then I'll agree with you. Until that day though I'll continue to assume that the Police are using this legislation reasonably.

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you believe in punishing people you disagree with, and i don't plan on living anywhere where i have to worry about going to jail for hurting someones feelings

It's not my opinions you need to worry about if you just can't help but write racist shit on the internet whist within the UK, I'm not a legislative body. However currently the laws of the UK say you will potentially be prosecuted if your brought to the Polices attention.

Personally I don't care what you write, just don't run afoul of the law unless you're happy to take the punishments on the chin.

[Kalis]

Then what does his tastes in clubs have to do with this topic?

You said...

Why would you or anyone else care about people that have been preemptively labeled racists?

Calling him a racist is hardly something that he is going to be bothered by, considering he actively supports a racist group.

[Deleted]

When the courts are chock full of people who have merely written stupid posts then I'll agree with you. Until that day though I'll continue to assume that the Police are using this legislation reasonably.

Even if they aren't being overboard and censoring people the terms are still not helpful and ultimately meaningless. What you want is already covered by other more accurate terms. Throwing in 'offensive', 'indecent' and 'obscene' introduces an element of potential censorship that I do not want.

[AeneasBK]

Pretty much everything any Scottish person ever posts on social media is such an abortion of the English language that it can be fairly deemed offensive regardless of whatever "attempted" content it had.

Did anyone consider that?

[Kalis]

Pretty much everything any Scottish person ever posts on social media is such an abortion of the English language that it can be fairly deemed offensive regardless of whatever "attempted" content it had.

Did anyone consider that?

They just call it Scots and pretend it's a different language.

[Shadowmelded]

Pretty much everything any Scottish person ever posts on social media is such an abortion of the English language that it can be fairly deemed offensive regardless of whatever "attempted" content it had.

Did anyone consider that?

Lol fair point, although tbf Scottish Twitter can be hilarious (where people play up the whole 'Scots' thing for comedic effect).

[MasterOfNone]

As much as I don't like the scope of our laws when it comes to racist remarks those 3 terms really need removing from our legislation.

When the courts are chock full of people who have merely written stupid posts then I'll agree with you. Until that day though I'll continue to assume that the Police are using this legislation reasonably.

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It's not my opinions you need to worry about if you just can't help but write racist shit on the internet whist within the UK, I'm not a legislative body. However currently the laws of the UK say you will potentially be prosecuted if your brought to the Polices attention.

Personally I don't care what you write, just don't run afoul of the law unless you're happy to take the punishments on the chin.

Well naturally. No one was hinting towards not following the law in any country much less the UK. your take on this however is not exactly the law. You want a dictatorship or communistic style of government where you can control free speech just for not agreeing with it. This is a dangerous precedent.

[Berengil]

It is and should be. What some would call hate speech, others would call the truth. You can express yourself in very hateful ways and what you think is right and it is protected for the most part in the US as a Constitutional right.

Abso-fckng-lutely right.

I'm a center-leftie, and I think hate speech laws are oppressive bs. Hate CRIMES laws, I have np with.

I WANT neo-nazis, homophobes, religious conservatives, and other assorted far rightists to be able to say their sh-t out loud. I prefer it that way. Then you have no doubt who they are.

The only speech that should be banned is DIRECT & CREDIBLE threats. Or speech like the " yelling fire in a crowded theater" type that would CREATE an IMMINENT threat.

Fck Orwellian overreach, in its ear.

[Kronik85]

Even if they aren't being overboard and censoring people the terms are still not helpful and ultimately meaningless. What you want is already covered by other more accurate terms. Throwing in 'offensive', 'indecent' and 'obscene' introduces an element of potential censorship that I do not want.

Shadowmeld reposted what I'd covered many pages ago that being merely "offensive" isn't enough to get yourself in trouble but keep up that straw man if you so wish. Either way it's bed time for me.