Emoji = PRISON!

Hello once again ATS.

From the land of "ZOMG I cannot believe that I live in this country/on this planet/am part of this species" / "At what point do we all just cave in and report to our local prison for voluntary processing" comes this story about two men who are sitting in jail, facing real criminal charges because they... wait for it used "threatening emoji's" on a Facebook post.

Sit back, breathe for a minute, clear your mind and let that really sink in. They got arrested for EMOJI'S.

Now, yes, there is a bit more to the story. These men did have a history of trouble with the recipient of said emoji's and had tried to beat the guy up, previously, at his own home.

Well, here, read the details for yourselves.

Oh, and the picture at the beginning of this thread... THAT is the emoji that sent them to jail.

From the article:

Arrested by Spartanburg County deputies in South Carolina earlier this month, 29-year-old David Fuentes and 29-year-old Matthew Cowan were taken into custody for sending threatening messages through Facebook to an unnamed man. However, no words were transmitted through the Facebook messaging, only graphical emoji icons.

Now, I'm no lawyer but it seems to me that there surely cannot be a Criminal Code on the books called "Sending threatening message through Facebook". And if there is, then I really, really want to emphasize just how freaking badly we've lost the entire plot.

I am no fan of bullies at all. Nor do I think that threatening others with violence is acceptable whatsoever. However the definition of what constitutes a "threat" is honestly getting out of hand. I mean, damn... we're like one angry City Councilperson away from living in a world where "Giving hard looks" is felonious behavior. And then, what?

Breaking news... Celebrity arrested in threat case for making eye contact with costar. Costar currently in the hospital receiving emotional trauma treatment. Star being held on ten million dollars bond. Details at eleven...

So ATS. Am I just becoming a grumpy old man who is lost in an evolving world and who simply doesn't get that things are better? OR is this entire country going headfirst into the toilet at a speed so profoundly astounding that it makes light feel envious?

Meh...

Pile this in with the NAACP leader who turned out to be a white woman who just wants to be black really, really bad and the whole it is now insensitive to call Bruce Jenner, well, Bruce Jenner and I'm just lost.

We live in a land of potentially violent, gender biased, racist emoji's - and Facebook is apparently more dangerous than guns....

Thanks for reading.

We're definitely going head over heels from the frying pan to the fire. That much I completely agree with.

Well, actually, I agree with your whole OP

S&F

Umm....am i the only one who doesnt think that is finger in the shape of a gun? Its just a hand pointing to an ambulance

a reply to: hefficide

LOL, nice post. I agree for the most part.

Everything is going to hell in this country.

If I had the skills and could convince my wife, I'd sell my house and go live somewhere remote off the land and totally disconnected from the insanity of the world.

a reply to: hefficide

Eliminate 80% of MC's and VC's. Eliminate 80% of LEOs. This requires a commitment to liberty. Abandon authoritarianism.

originally posted by: 3danimator2014
Umm....am i the only one who doesnt think that is finger in the shape of a gun? Its just a hand pointing to an ambulance

Yeah, it doesn't.

When I first saw it I thought it merely meant... "one punch sends you to the ER"...

a reply to: hefficide

Sissification of the west has begun.

Now if you'll excuse me, your OP offended me somehow and I need some "me" time to get over it until I call the police.

Look, I agree with most of what you have said in principal, but let's face it, if two guys had come round your house and attacked you in the past, then sent you a not so cryptic message implying they were going to beat you up so bad you'd need an ambulance, well I think I'd probably want to get the police involved myself.

Do you think he has the option to take things into his own hands? Would retaliating physically get him anywhere other than a jail cell himself?

You make it sound as if the Facebook police are watching your every emoji, waiting to pounce. I think it's probably just some poor guy worried about his health deciding to do the responsible thing and tell the cops.

a reply to: hefficide

What a world. I want off. The stupid keeps getting stronger and there's no damn cure.

a reply to: Dem0nc1eaner

Personally, I tend to fight my own battles. Maybe that's why I don't get "threatening emoji's" - and if I did, honest to God I'd chuckle and then move on, never giving them another thought.

The law obviously dropped the ball on the first event - the one in THE REAL WORLD and didn't follow through with anything like an arrest or a no-contact order or something along those lines. And the article is clear that the men are not in prison for violating a no-contact order... So...

Again - no fan of people hurting other people. I'm a pacifist at heart and have a deep dislike of violence. BUT I do know how to correctly define "violence", "threat" and have enough discernment to understand that when we begin to pander to the concept that snarky little pictures equal a threat... the machine is missing a LOT of gears.

a reply to: hefficide

I see it this way, hefficide, this is something that is been going on for a while, now with doing arrest to point out the dangers of posting images linked to certain objects or else, it can open the door to legislation or laws.

We are been played on by authorities as usual.

Why would it matter if a threat is verbal or in pictures? Does a funny picture make it less of a threat?

Isn't a threat a threat?

I wonder if a restraining order had been filed.

a reply to: hefficide

Can't argue with that! The problem is the nanny culture works in both ways. It would be nice if we didn't have to rely on Big Brother to sort all of our little problems out, but unfortunately that's the world we live in.

If the US (I'm assuming you're American?) is anything like the UK, if I were in his situation and took matters into my own hands and decided to "fight my own battles" as you say, well I would be arrested for assault. Unless, of course, I waited for them to attack me first so I could defend myself, which isn't exactly ideal either!!

Like I said, I agree in principal with everything you're saying, if trends like this continue things will get out of control, but in this particular instance, it seems like some low-IQ bullies are probably getting what they deserve for being jerks.

originally posted by: Annee
Why would it matter if a threat is verbal or in pictures? Does a funny picture make it less of a threat?

Isn't a threat a threat?

I wonder if a restraining order had been filed.

I'm with you. There's a history here, and I think the message is as clear as if they had used the words "we're coming over and beating you so bad you're gonna need an ambulance." Okay yeah, if the recipient of the message was a tough guy, he could be waiting for them with a gun, but not everyone is a tough guy.

The only problem I see is that they are going to get out eventually... And then the emoji message is FOR SURE going to come true.

a reply to: Annee

And there is the slippery slope. What constitutes a threat? Given the way society is beginning to look at anyone who is even remotely uncomfortable as a "victim" ( Which is dangerous because if there is a "victim" - then it follows that there is a person doing the victimizing ), where does the line get drawn?

The game "hangman" that most, if not all of us has played? Racially insensitive? Threatening? Cases could be made for both conclusions - if one had skin about .000000001 micron thin.

I just don't see how a person can be a victim of a smiley face. Period. This falls into "implied or perceived" territory and that is a very dangerous place to be. We are getting very close to a thoughtcrime type scenario where simply holding an opinion is criminal - much less voicing it.

Hell we already have reached the point where voicing an honest opinion can make one a pariah.

So much for freedom of speech? Now freedom of speech is hinged upon whether or not it offends ANY other living person, on any level, real or imagined.

And what makes it worse is that we've got a freaking police state to enforce it all.

Huxley and Orwell need to be updated because we are way past 1984 and A Brave New World already.

a reply to: Annee

For once I actually agree with you. I think the guys deserved to be arrested, and I also think that Heff would be singing a completely different tune if it was reported that the recipient of the picture was gay (not politically trolling or changing the subject here).

Also, that's not an "emoji" and the guys aren't in "prison".

a reply to: Bone75

Why in the name of God would I care if the person was gay or not. You are aware that I an not gay, right? Stupidity is stupidity, regardless of sexual orientation, race, creed, etc.

Getting arrested for posting smiley faces is STUPID.

originally posted by: hefficide

Getting arrested for posting smiley faces is STUPID.

That's a smiley face? Really?

originally posted by: hefficide
a reply to: Annee

And there is the slippery slope. What constitutes a threat?

The way I look at this:

If both a child and an adult are standing in front of me -- pointing loaded guns at me -- is one more innocent then the other?

a reply to: Bone75

Does the picture scare you? Leave you feeling threatened? If so, I could probably find some coloring and connect the dot books that would surpass the emoji posted in scariness by miles.

Think of the national publicity and lawsuit money I just handed you.

Sigh.