Georgia couple sentenced for terroristic threats towards children

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Dude653

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2011
12,668
1,098
113
#41
They broke the law but the punishment does not fit the crime.
BEEEEEEEP happens. I don't have any sympathy for them. Don't threaten children with guns
 

maxwel

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2013
9,526
2,608
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#42
I never said that insulting was the same as threatening.

Also, I don't believe that insulting is the same as offending. Offending is vague, I agree. Insulting is when you say bad words to a person.

But I do believe that both (insult and threatening) should be punished, but not with the same punishment, of course.

So, you wrote a long comment almost in vain because you argue about offense and I am talking about insults.

Wsblind is in disbelief and said that maybe the couple didn't threaten the children but was merely "exercising their freedom of speech" by yelling insults at those children. Please, we are all grownup christians here and we know that insulting someone is not the same as freedom of speech.

At least that's what I understood from wsblind's comment.

The word "insult" is just as vague, and subjective, as the word "offense."

The word "insult" is subjective... it is contingent only upon the subjectivity of the "hearer."

I can say your last post "insulted" me... and you still have to go to jail.

The word "insult" is subjective.
If I say you insulted me, you have no way to claim you did not.
Regardless of what you say, I can claim it hurt my feelings, and I felt insulted.
Being insulted is not an objective reality, it is a subjective feeling.
We all need to put on our big girl pants and act like adults.

Saying people should be punished for SUBJECTIVE things like "verbal insult", or "verbal offense" is ridiculous.


And for the record, linguistically, "insult" would be nothing but a vague subset of the vague word "offense."
They are related, and in many cases interchangeable.
 

maxwel

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2013
9,526
2,608
113
#43
GuessWho,

If you say the world "insult" is NOT subjective, but it has very specific meanings... then you have only proven my point.

The world "insult" is ENTIRELY subjective, and the ONLY way it can have any specific meaning, is if YOU define it.
So are YOU now going to define the law?
Will YOU decide which words are "legal insults" and which words are NOT "legal insults."

What about humor, comedy, satire?
Are those all illegal now because they contain a word or phrase you consider an insult?

What if YOU don't want to give the legal definition of "insults", but you want the government to do that?
Does letting someone else put limits on your speech really solve the problem?
Now some government official gets to determine what YOU can say.
Some government official gets to decide if harmless expressions you use are now "legal insults."
And what about the Bible?
People in some countries are now getting arresting just for preaching the exact words in the Bible.
Is that fair?
Is it fair, or intelligent, to create laws that get you arrested for speaking the words in the Bible?

It's better to jut have FREE SPEECH.
And then if people feel insulted by something... they can just act like grownups, and walk away.
 

Smoke

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2016
1,645
597
113
#44
There is a misunderstanding here. English is not my first language so please, have patience.

I don't talk about getting insulted because someone prays in public. I am talking about people who yell insults at other people. If I would call you a piece of something you would know I am insulting you and I would know I am insulting you because I would get banned.

I hope now is clearer what I meant to say.
I think I understand what you're saying (correct me if I'm wrong please). You're saying "free speech" shouldn't include speech that is "insulting" to someone, correct?

in·sult

verb

verb: insult; 3rd person present: insults; past tense: insulted; past participle: insulted; gerund or present participle: insulting
inˈsəlt/
1.
speak to or treat with disrespect or scornful abuse

What is "disrespectful" to one person may or may not be disrespectful to another though. If we made it illegal to insult someone, who gets to decide what is and isn't an insult? There is, without a doubt, some words that are blatant insults (#$%^ you!, kiss my #$%, etc...). The issue is that if we made it illegal to insult someone, someone could claim they were disrespected at the most trivial of "offenses". If we criticized our government officials they could easily claim to feel disrespected. I know I'd be cautious about what I'd say about them if I could be punished for it. It would make giving an honest opinion a potential violation of the law.
 

Sirk

Banned
Mar 2, 2016
8,896
113
0
#45
People say mean things. Such is life. Can't make it illegal to call someone poopie pants.
 

Smoke

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2016
1,645
597
113
#46
People say mean things. Such is life. Can't make it illegal to call someone poopie pants.
Even calling someone "ma'am" could be insulting.

Man: Howdy ma'am.
Woman #1: Whoa?! "Ma'am?" I'm too young to be called "ma'am". I'm not some 70 year old woman! How dare you!
Woman #2 (70 years old): Whoa?! You're calling me old because I'm only 70?!
 

GuessWho

Senior Member
Nov 8, 2014
1,227
34
48
#47
I can say your last post "insulted" me... and you still have to go to jail.
Don't be ridiculous. If the moderators of this chat would agree with you and consider that I insulted you, than I would be banned from the site...that would be the punishement, not jail.

The word "insult" is subjective.
If I say you insulted me, you have no way to claim you did not.
Regardless of what you say, I can claim it hurt my feelings, and I felt insulted.
Being insulted is not an objective reality, it is a subjective feeling.
And yet, we all kind of agree on what constitute an insult. You see, when the moderators of this chat made the rule number 2 (go and reat it), they knew that most of us understand what the rule means and what they mean by insults.

We all need to put on our big girl pants and act like adults.
It is imperative that we act like civilised adults. If we can't be good christians, at least we can try to be polite.

Saying people should be punished for SUBJECTIVE things like "verbal insult", or "verbal offense" is ridiculous.
Than this chat is ridiculous. Because you get punished (you get banned which is a sort of punishemnt) for verbal insult or verbal offense. Without the quotation marks.


And for the record, linguistically, "insult" would be nothing but a vague subset of the vague word "offense."
They are related, and in many cases interchangeable.
Then I rephrase. It is one thing to get insulted or offended by someone praying in public and a completely different thing to get insulted when someone calls you names and verbally attacks you.
 

GuessWho

Senior Member
Nov 8, 2014
1,227
34
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#49
I think I understand what you're saying (correct me if I'm wrong please). You're saying "free speech" shouldn't include speech that is "insulting" to someone, correct?

in·sult

verb

verb: insult; 3rd person present: insults; past tense: insulted; past participle: insulted; gerund or present participle: insulting
inˈsəlt/
1.
speak to or treat with disrespect or scornful abuse

What is "disrespectful" to one person may or may not be disrespectful to another though. If we made it illegal to insult someone, who gets to decide what is and isn't an insult? There is, without a doubt, some words that are blatant insults (#$%^ you!, kiss my #$%, etc...). The issue is that if we made it illegal to insult someone, someone could claim they were disrespected at the most trivial of "offenses". If we criticized our government officials they could easily claim to feel disrespected. I know I'd be cautious about what I'd say about them if I could be punished for it. It would make giving an honest opinion a potential violation of the law.
The user wsblind said this in post 17:

"It looks contrived to me. Say children were involved and make everybody believe it......slam dunk case no matter what.

Call em terrorists, so the next time a cracker drives by a black party and yells something that hurts peoples sensibilities we can fry em for terrorists acts, when in actuality they were just stupid and exercising their freedom of speech.

This case is to perfect. It has everything in it that the left uses to try to portray the white majority as.

A bunch of black hating,children hating, stupid kkk trash. It seems contrived in many ways."



I put in bold the part in which yelling insults at someone is mistaken for freedom of speech. If someone called you, your wife and your kids insulting names and you would sue him, you should win, because you and your family have the right to not be insulted.
 

Dude653

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2011
12,668
1,098
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#50
They were charged with terroristic threatening. You don't get a terroristic threatening charge over insults
 
S

Sully

Guest
#51
They were charged with terroristic threatening. You don't get a terroristic threatening charge over insults
That may not be entirely true, thought police are on duty...
 

Dude653

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2011
12,668
1,098
113
#52
That may not be entirely true, thought police are on duty...
You can insult me all day long, call me a big stupid doo doo head, you can even call me a honky or a cracker. those are just words. Terroristic threatening is when you clearly State your intent to harm me.
 
S

Sully

Guest
#53
You can insult me all day long, call me a big stupid doo doo head, you can even call me a honky or a cracker. those are just words. Terroristic threatening is when you clearly State your intent to harm me.
the "intent" part is what's getting ambiguous. I'm sure you can think up some examples especially with the English language which is tailor made for allusion.
 

GuessWho

Senior Member
Nov 8, 2014
1,227
34
48
#54
They were charged with terroristic threatening. You don't get a terroristic threatening charge over insults
I know. I'm sorry I derailed it from threaten to insult. I did it because of something a user here said.

Back on the track: I hope this is the first and last time someone threatens children with a gun. I also don't believe in the tears of the woman but I do hope that later she will be very sorry and ashamed of what she did.
 

Dude653

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2011
12,668
1,098
113
#55
the "intent" part is what's getting ambiguous. I'm sure you can think up some examples where especially using English which is tailor made for allusion.
I figure if you point a shotgun at me and say you're going to kill me then I think it's pretty clear
 
S

Sully

Guest
#56
I figure if you point a shotgun at me and say you're going to kill me then I think it's pretty clear
What if someone points a shotgun at you and says "What if I kill you right now?"
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,402
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#57
People say mean things. Such is life. Can't make it illegal to call someone poopie pants.
I have been called cracker.......and I did not get offended....actually said you got that right and for the record I AM A SALTINE Cracker........our society is way sensitive and easily offended.....what ever happened to "sticks and stones can break our bones, but words will never hurt us"
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
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#59
What if someone points a shotgun at you and says "What if I kill you right now?"
As a Marine they better be prepared to pull the trigger.....if NOT...the lead will be so thick in the air from my weapon that it will momentarily block sun!
 
S

Sully

Guest
#60
As a Marine they better be prepared to pull the trigger.....if NOT...the lead will be so thick in the air from my weapon that it will momentarily block sun!
Lol, I agree. Just thinking hypothetically like a Def attorney would. OJ is about to be released and paid millions...