Jailing someone for saying words is not a new concept. If i walked up to someone and said "i am going to rape and murder you", i would be charged and go to jail. Pretty sure "free speech" would not work for me as a defence.
Man jailed for racially abusing Marcus Rashford on twitter
- Thread starter sullydnl
- Start date
Think jail is too easy.
There should be public service orders to have these people do some utter dog shit work, like going around picking up dog shit for a year.
There should be public service orders to have these people do some utter dog shit work, like going around picking up dog shit for a year.
Excellent.
I am not sure how I'll feel about it later but my initial reaction thinks 6 weeks for racist slurs on the internet, directed at an individual seems about right. Could probably argue a month or two months is better.
I think instead of just jailing them if such a guy is named and shamed on TV(face being shown on TV) or a public platform, there will be more fear amongst people trying to racially abuse on social media.
People will actually be scared of the consequences it will have on their social life and think twice before typing that crap.
And yeah, this goes for racism against other communities/races too.
People will actually be scared of the consequences it will have on their social life and think twice before typing that crap.
And yeah, this goes for racism against other communities/races too.
Who told you jail was easy?
Clearly I'm commenting on it from my perspective, as a US citizen.
i think it’s relatively unprecedented? Only time will tell. Hopefully a step in the right direction
Different countries different laws.
The biggest punishment comes from the fact they'll lose their job and have a criminal record. No point clogging up prison with such people for longer than needed.
Good to see action being taken. It won't stop many of the worst offenders but it'll certainly reduce some.
6 weeks is a little over a month, isn't it?
I think it’s a very fair sentence.
It’s a nominal sentence but now it’ll be on his record and he will need to disclose it to employers for a certain period. Good.
So are they now going to arrest every person on Twitter who racially abuses someone? Because there’s not enough jails in the world for that, so how do they choose who goes to jail and who doesn’t ? What’s the abuse meter for it ? Until they actually take peoples I.D and start permanently banning people who are abusive it won’t stop. Also hitting people financially will hurt too. I don’t think putting people in prison is sustainable enough.
another point here is a majority of people who write abuse like this on the internet are probably kids. Not all but a lot.
another point here is a majority of people who write abuse like this on the internet are probably kids. Not all but a lot.
I haven't looked into it but I would be very doubtful it did anything positive.
Cheers. Yeah I'm not sure it is a step in the right direction, they've basically given a teenager a criminal record for life in the hopes it will make people less racist online.
Last edited:
I agree with this sentiment, but always find it hard to gauge this trade off between being principally grounded and turn into one of these doomsday predictors thinking the world will collapse whenever some freedom is removed.
Banning him from accessing social network platforms is impossible
Yeh. I'm more into education for this type of offence instead of longer jailing time. Especially since the guy is only 19 y.o. Longer jailing time will make him a racist for life, which is counter productive.
Yeah my point is you could possibly argue particulars 4/6/8/10/12 weeks but it's kinda nitpicking
Agreed
This is something he can live without once he stops doing it though, unlike being a robber, criminal, etc. Jailed once for racism I am sure he won't repeat it on social media anymore because he won't gain anything out of it, like he would potentially do by breaking a store, house, or something similar.
Actually, that's because the US doesn't recognize the International Criminal Court or the Rome statute so even if they were tried there there would be no obligation to hand them over.
Marvellous. Make an example of the racist Cnut.
Worked for Trump, didn't it? Just ban the ones he wants to use most.
I don't think there is because this is all pretty new. You can bet that someone, somewhere will be analyzing it eventually, though.
Yep, totally agree. But look at what Trump did here in the US, with calling the press "the enemy of the people" and saying journalists should be jailed. He took it the next step which was advocating violence against the free press. Look at Putin now, jailing anyone for 15 years if they call this Ukraine war anything but a de-Nazification exercise.
I was in Russia for the World Cup, and as much as I loved my time there, I was well aware that I was in a country where talking shit about the ruler could get me in serious trouble. It's something we take for granted here in the US [I don't know where you're from Sir Donkey of Fish], that we have free speech. It's the right that lets us tell Trump to eat a bag of dicks. It's the right that holds politicians to account. It's the right that shines light into the darkness etc. etc. (cue dramatic music). This 19 year old was an idiot. He did some racist things. Anyone think going to prison is going to lessen anyone's racist beliefs? If anything, he'll find fellow travelers. But again, US prisons are an atrocity, maybe they are a lot nicer in the UK.
There are lots of limits on free speech, it's not absolute. I would be very afraid if someone like Trump were able to get a law like that one passed here.
Marcus Rashford and Justin Lee Price do not live in the United States. We don't have the market cornered on what does and does not constitute free speech.
Yeah, I know. I'm commenting as an American on a situation that is different from what we have here.
At least three months, a sentence that potentially has some deterrence to it.
You've got a pretty ludicrously high bar for what is unacceptable.
Should the punishment for threats and racist abuse just being having your tweet taken down then?
Another case of people claiming to want free speech when what they actually want is the ability to say things without consequences. Free speech existed here because he said it. Doesn’t mean you don’t then get your comeuppance (or c’nuppins as the Caf would say.)
I'd generally agree with this, and I'd be hard line on internet abuse merchants.
But I just feel even though he's over 18, he is still a teenager, and I'd probably give him something like 200-300hours community service instead.
Some really sh!te tasks that are a real punishment. Fail to do those, and then jail, but I'd ward on the side of a teen still has a chance to see the error of their ways, rather than some 40 year old.
So anyone can say what they want on twitter, minus terrorism?
If someone racially abuses someone face to face is that any different? Racial abuse is racial abuse no matter the forum
There are a lot of dimwits who don't understand that free speech has to be in line with the laws of a country.
It's designed to challenge ideas, systems and the like.
Not to abuse someone from the comfort of their bedroom, all brave.
In Jeff's world it's all fine, but just not inciting terrorism. That's the only bad thing you can do with words.
excellent
as an american can be a bit weird seeing this type of jailing. Shit pretty sure we give less for DUI's even when people get killed.
Worth noting that he got a reduced sentence for pleading guilty.
Someone else who posted racial abuse towards Rashford, Sancho and Saka on their facebook page was previously given a 14 week sentence, suspended for 18 months, with 30 days rehabilitation activity and a 40-week electronically monitored curfew on Saturdays and Sundays.
Someone else who posted racial abuse towards Rashford, Sancho and Saka on their facebook page was previously given a 14 week sentence, suspended for 18 months, with 30 days rehabilitation activity and a 40-week electronically monitored curfew on Saturdays and Sundays.
No because those consequences aren’t right. Politicians should be allowed to be questioned and held accountable for things. Racial abuse should never be tolerated and therefore the punishments fits the crime. He was free to say it.