Man arrested for burning a poppy.

[Apex]

Just saw the National News. This was a top story. They showed a picture of the young man involved, gave his name and mentioned the village where he lives in Kent. This guy would need to think carefully now before he even goes to his local shop.

So somebody, somewhere, very big, with an awful lot of clout, is seriously p-ssed off with this guy.

Because he said something stupid on the internet?

 

[Alceste]

I'm not saying that this action was 'dangerous', but some opinions published anywhere can lead to severe situations. I'll bet that the internet will be controlled by some international organisation within twenty years.

It's not possible to control the internet. The technology itself is fundamentally democratic. People are already establishing dispersed servers and underground networks to evade various governments' attempts at suppressing whatever types of speech they don't approve of.

Granted, they can gain control of highly centralised or corporate entities, like DNS servers and ISPs, and make the experience of the average user a more passive, information-absorbing, consumerist pastime, but serious internet users are aware of these efforts and taking counter-measures much faster than governments can keep up.

For example, the attempts to attack piracy by persecuting torrent sharing websites have already been answered with torrent software that does not rely on a centralised library of links at all - users connect directly with one another to share files. Attempts to persecute Wikileaks were met with an explosion of mirror sites all around the world. They were not put offline even for a single day, despite a massive, coordinated attack on their finances, principal actors and servers by most Western governments, spearheaded by the US.

Even in China, dissidents are able to get around the firewall, although it is at great personal risk.

 

[Wirey]

What do you make of this?
AFP: Man held over burning poppy image

They sell the poopies in little trays here in Canada, with the funds going to the Royal Canadian Legion. A few years ago they caught a drunk guy on film stealing the money at a coffee shop in Halifax. After they showed the film on TV, he was recognized, charged, and beat up a few times.

 

[Alceste]

They sell the poopies in little trays here in Canada, with the funds going to the Royal Canadian Legion. A few years ago they caught a drunk guy on film stealing the money at a coffee shop in Halifax. After they showed the film on TV, he was recognized, charged, and beat up a few times.

We Canadians and our poopy trays...

 

[HonestJoe]

What would be illegal about "How about that you squadey (sic) c****." ?

If it was a communication which was malicious. The clue is in the name.

Granted, I don't know what the particular C word was and who, exactly, he was referring to, but I hardly can see how that would require being arrested.

The c-word in question would probably get you banned here. Where's the righteous indignation at that?

 

[Drolefille]

If it was a communication which was malicious. The clue is in the name.

The c-word in question would probably get you banned here. Where's the righteous indignation at that?

Do you not see the difference in banning someone from a private forum and arresting someone?

 

[Absolute Zero]

What the heck is a poppy ?

 

[Revoltingest]

What the heck is a poppy ?

Oh....you mean "poppy"....

 

[HonestJoe]

Do you not see the difference in banning someone from a private forum and arresting someone?

A fair point, though the common argument seems to be freedom or nothing, at least on the internet.

I'm not actually defending the arrest, just challenging the nature of the knee-jerk reactions to it.

 

[sandandfoam]

I think it was right to arrest him.
I am anti-war, anti-army, anti-imperialism. However, many people have died in the service of the British Army. Too many are dying right now.
Society should not accept those on the suffering end of the stick being referred to as squaddie *****. Nor is it acceptable to behave in a way whose sole purpose is to insult and offend.
I do not believe he should be locked up and the key thrown away but I do think it was right to make a statement - and I think the arrest makes that statement.

 

[Onkara]

I agree with you Stephen.

His acts were a pre-meditated provocation against the peace and the police acted correctly by detaining him and investigating him further. I don't think it needs to imply imprisonment or fines.

There isn't a given freedom of speech to my knowledge, the English laws restrict freedom not provide it. Abuse your freedom and the English laws will act to reduce the freedom to abuse it, in more extreme cases.

 

[oldbadger]

OK....... here I cometh.... out of the old closet!

If a person wants to deliberately, maliciously, vindictively post a message intended to upset people, especially those who have lost sons, daughters, husbands, wives and loved ones through military action in service of their country, then I for one will not be laying in bed tonight, staring at the ceiling, wondering how long it might be before this sorry little soul might dare to show his face outside again.

(No Revoltingest.... I'm not going to tell you what I might be doing instead!)

He might not be charged with any offence, and arrest in England does not carry the consequences of, say, arrest in New York (much worse) but this did need to happen, so that other saddies will be deterred from malicious messages as much as possible.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

All laws in the UK extend to the web.
There have been an increasing number of people prosecuted of late.
The fact that you say something on the web rather than in the street, give you no greater immunity at all.
Cheltenham filter every communication, even encrypted stuff.

This idiot did and said what he did, knowing he would upset thousands of people.
He was certain to be arrested, but as it turned out, not necessarily charged. However the police will Look at him and his associates, very closely, to check out his agenda.

He is not going to be very popular with his friends for a while.

 

[Revoltingest]

All laws in the UK extend to the web.
There have been an increasing number of people prosecuted of late.
The fact that you say something on the web rather than in the street, give you no greater immunity at all.
Cheltenham filter every communication, even encrypted stuff.

This idiot did and said what he did, knowing he would upset thousands of people.
He was certain to be arrested, but as it turned out, not necessarily charged. However the police will Look at him and his associates, very closely, to check out his agenda.

He is not going to be very popular with his friends for a while.

Popularity is over-rated.
Fomenting discord can be good.

 

[Willamena]

They sell the poopies in little trays here in Canada, with the funds going to the Royal Canadian Legion. A few years ago they caught a drunk guy on film stealing the money at a coffee shop in Halifax. After they showed the film on TV, he was recognized, charged, and beat up a few times.

I'm very sad to hear that. Beating up this guy dishonours the memory of all those who fought for actual good reasons.

 

[Drolefille]

A fair point, though the common argument seems to be freedom or nothing, at least on the internet.

I'm not actually defending the arrest, just challenging the nature of the knee-jerk reactions to it.

But what you did was set up a strawman - you assumed that the argument would or should be "freedom or nothing" and then were "shocked" at the lack of outrage over forum censorship.

I don't really think the reactions are terribly knee-jerk, although many are based in the American view of free speech rather than the British view.

 

[oldbadger]

All laws in the UK extend to the web.
There have been an increasing number of people prosecuted of late.
The fact that you say something on the web rather than in the street, give you no greater immunity at all.
Cheltenham filter every communication, even encrypted stuff.

This idiot did and said what he did, knowing he would upset thousands of people.
He was certain to be arrested, but as it turned out, not necessarily charged. However the police will Look at him and his associates, very closely, to check out his agenda.

He is not going to be very popular with his friends for a while.

Great. I think that we've got the right idea, here. We do have free-speech but we don't have malicious, vindictive or slanderous speech.

Oh yes.... and if his friends don't remonstrate with him, then many others in his local community will. That village has quite a tough community.

 

[oldbadger]

Popularity is over-rated.
Fomenting discord can be good.

Nah..... you got it mixed up.....

Formenting discord is bad..........
Fermenting alcohol is ............... good!

See? It's yer alcohol thingy what's good!

 

[Wirey]

We Canadians and our poopy trays...

Dammit! Sorry.

 

[Revoltingest]

Those Limeys aren't too big on free speech in general....
In UK, Twitter, Facebook rants land some in jail - New York News | NYC Breaking News