What a delightful “young woman” comments on Widdecombe death

[Deanefan]

Directed to this by a friend from Aberdeen
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/16536795/heather-herbert-ann-widdecombe-death-comments/

There have to be limits on free speech. The only question is where you draw the line. Personally I think Herbert's comments about Ann Widdecombe were offensive but shouldn't be illegal (and in fact I'd be surprised if they were illegal, even under Scottish legislation).

On the other hand, I think making death threats to people should be illegal.

When it comes to the crime of inciting racial hatred that Lucy Connolly was convicted of, I think a lot depends on context. I feel she was treated harshly because a tweet typed out in anger, and deleted shortly afterwards, is not the same as standing in front of a crowd and inciting them to kill immigrants.

We don't yet know under what law Herbert has been charged, or the particular social media comments that the charge relates to. I think it was unwise of the FSU to offer to support him given that they don't have this information either.

Thank goodness for your common sense on the Connolly issue.

It will be interesting when the charges emerged and also what follows that Poppy bear's most peculiar video. The polycule are in big trouble if their hard drives are checked.

I am on the fence with this. People say some awful things on SM - probably worse than He He’s vile comments. Named and shamed should be enough but not criminal. But (and this is big but), I do think many MPs (even those who are no longer MPs) seem to get an exceeding amount of hate male and vile threats to the point where 3 have now been murdered. It doesn’t take much for some idiot to think if it’s okay to wish violent deaths on MPs to follow through and act upon it. Probably haven’t explained myself well but there just seems to be so many different fractions thinking violence is the answer it’s worrying.

Under German law it's illegal to call someone an idiot (or to insult them in any other way) either online or otherwise, and it you say something offensive about a politician you can get a prison sentence of up to 3 years.

There's a Hate Crime Act in Scotland, which gives extra protection to trans people but not to women. So they can make use of that extra protection (the Government has done everything possible to encourage them to report people), while freely insulting women, politicians and whoever themselves.

How very progressive.

Are any of these guys actually Scottish?

I agree that awful things are said on social media. While we may think they are disgusting and abhorrent, it doesn’t necessarily make it criminal.

Inciting violence is another thing all together and it deserves punishment.

A contentious or divisive cause will often attract those who feel disenchanted, disenfranchised and angry. Sometimes they will be isolated or unwell. And sometimes they attract those who are all of the above and also are willing to do something to highlight the cause - even if it isn’t necessarily their fight.

Some people throw words into the air without caring who will hear them.

Nowadays? I’d rather have the sticks and stones because depending on the audience, words on social media have the capacity for a lot more than just hurt.

It does not surprise me in the slightest that women are not given the same protection.

It also does not surprise me that women stating facts are targeted by those who cannot accept facts.

Only Sparkles I think (Edinburgh), judging by the accents.

The polycule have blocked everyone who points out they're disgusting misogynistic men. So the replies on their posts have affirmed their beliefs that they are stunning and brave. Unfortunately for them, real life seems to be catching up on them.

Stunning is doing some VERY heavy lifting.

So? We're talking about someone who seemed to know that Ms Widdicombe had been murdered before it was announced and hoped she died screaming and horribly and handcuffed to the bed. 'Everyone else was doing it' stopped being an excuse when you left primary school.

I think anyone should be able to say anything. We are a long way down a slippery slope in the UK on this erosion of free speech.

That's interesting. Suppose I happened to know your real name and managed to find out your address. Should it be legal for me to post those details on a social media platform, say, along with the entirely false claim that you have an interest in sexually abusing little children?

Perhaps you'd be OK with that, even though it immediately puts you in danger. It seems to me that everyone draws the free speech line somewhere, though - they just draw it in different places.

Exactly this. With freedom comes responsibility. We can't have complete freedom of speech because it's a power that easily falls into irresponsible (at best) hands.

I should have free speech to wish others harm, threaten them with rape, with death, with pain and suffering and call for them to be cancelled but they shouldn't have free speech to state facts I don't like.

It's either free speech for all or it's restricted for all but we can't silence one side of the debate while allowing the other side to have total freedom of speech including hate speech, threats and doxxing.

As I said, anyone should be able to say anything.

Thank goodness you're not the new PM.

How do you know?

I mean, it's possible Andy Burnham is currently posting on Mumsnet under the name of princejoffyjaffur. But I suspect he's otherwise occupied.

It's either De Waarheid if you're going for Dutch or Die Wahrheit if it's German. A malapropism in either case as you're posts appear to be the product of a fevered imagination and very far removed from "the truth".