What do we do if another erad3 starts up?

ATS has around 200,000 members. Go look at some crime stats for a population that size. They're usually posted as per 100,000. For example, in the US, the national average is around 5 homocides per 100,000. Violent crime is around 500 per 100,000.

That being said, this year, someone on ATS will most likely commit a violent crime. I'm all up for becoming an ATS cop, unless they drug test, then I'm all up for being an ATS informant.

well sensorship sounds great,does`nt half of all topics discuss sensorship on the internet ,either way the moderators are there for reporting oddities,give them something to do LOL

While I can understand the motivation to ask such a question, it's important that we don't. Asking the question puts that criteria in our heads, and suddenly every post we read is measured by yet another factor. Where before we asked ourselves "What information does this post offer?", "What proof or support for that information is there?", "What merit or value does this post have?". Now, we not only add the criteria of "Is this the post of a psycho-in-the-making?", we actually put that criteria BEFORE the rest. So in worrying about the sanity of the poster what might you be missing out of the post? And then there is the worst case scenario...

"NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!"

Let's say that we have a hypothetical poster. Our hypothetical poster reads that one particular government official is responsible for something like keeping the patriot act in place, and he rails and rants in posts about it. At one point, he wishes that official would die, he doesn't say he's going to kill the official specifically.

One of us responsible like people here, see "danger signs" and report our hypothetical poster. The information gets to the FBI, and they come and arrest HP. His house is searched, and he, like many members of our forums, owns guns...uh oh. His computers are seized and all his posts are scrutinized. While he is being held without charges, and without access to his attorney, he is made to undergo biased psychological screenings. He is questioned mercilessly about every anti-government sentiment he has ever posted. He is beyond heavily medicated, remanded to a maximum security psychiatric facility and does the Thorazine shuffle in a bathrobe and bunny slippers for the rest of his days. Meanwhile, the story is released to the public by all the media money can buy, as a triumph of our people. "We prevented the next AZ massacre. And with your help we can prevent many more, if you see someone who might need our help...just call 1-900-WTCH-HNT."

Yes, this is a wildly exaggerated scenario, but before dismissing it entirely, ask yourself: Is it an impossible scenario?

We just need to be us and not feed into the fear/paranoia machine.

Respectfully,
T.

When I made this thread, I didn't realize just how much I'd be forced to ponder the issue.
ATS is a perfect reflection of what is occurring in America. We get bombers, and the knee-jerk reaction is to impose safety measures that restrict our freedoms (TSA).

Risks always have to be assumed in an open society. The risks here, crazy posters, are minimal compared to real world issues. But promoting freedom without the restrictive air, is the right choice. The choice that sides with freedom.

reply to post by boondock-saint



Lets test your theory...

Boon - I really think you should seek professional help... I think your alternative view has become way way too alternative!

Boon doc saints should seek some professional help..

Let me know how that works out for you!



Let me post in Jared Laughner style

Boon is in need of professional help
Therefore boon is in need of professional help

A professional should help boon
therefore a professional should help boon.

Again, let me know how that works out for you.

Nothing. We Can't

As some of you know he was the 2nd ATS shooter, the first being Weise in 2005.

The two of them totally different people, and Weise, even in retrospect, is very hard to single out. I found out about the original ATS shooter yesterday, and looked at this posts, and am currently watching Skins series 5 (UK), where Weise appears a little bit like the characture of "Rick", a 'loser' gothic-metal fan who seems quite pessimistic, and like a few people I have met at rock clubs.

JLL did seem a little bit creepy from the onset, but there are several people on ATS who have appeared to be in a similar state of, shall we say, dissonance with society, who haven't gone out on the rampage.

We needn't do anything in my opinion, ATS is a MASSIVE forum, over 200,000 members. Blackpool, Lancs, NW England has only around 145,000 residents in comparison, and in any given week, there are probably two murders.

By that standard ATS should never have too justify itself with threads like this one.

Originally posted by Hefficide
If we see blatant threats or violent statements, we use the alert function and let the mods, supermods, admins, and amigos figure it out.

I suppose that depends on who 'we' are eh?

Some of us would remove these people using the traditional methods of proof, reason and then ridicule.

I suppose it's up to ATS what it decides how it is considered; but believe me - it's not looking good.

So back to your stargates, batboys and Xenu for you!

-m0r

Originally posted by beezzer
With all the issues surrounding the killer (alledged) in AZ, and his involvement on ATS, what do we do, what should we do, if we see it again?

This may be a sensitive subject but what if we find another person acting erratically here? And who would define it? Heck, sometimes I ramble. Are the cops going to kick down my door next because I vented here?

This also speaks to the larger question, what is our role in society when we notice someone like that? I'd hate the idea of a police state and people turning in neighbors just because they may be weird. Heck, I'm weird.

What should we do?

Attn: mods, if this is in the wrong forum, please accept my apologies and move.

edit on 15-1-2011 by beezzer because: typo

Well let's make a law. If your presumed weird by ATS posters you go to a REAL jail for 25 years - life. lynch mobs do such a great job being psychoanalysts. I mean why have psychoanalysts/psychiachists? Who needs 'em? lol

There are some problems with your post about the CIA manchurian/Jared.

1)The guy they arrested is Jared loughner. The guy that shot those people is a look-a-like assassin with his face covered.

2)The people being interviewed by megaCorp-news are scripted agents

3)The news is completely corporate/elite controlled and sponsored. They'll censor/warp/lie/misrepresent anything elite tells them to.

4)Jared is insane and a patsy for a anti-public elitist agenda. But hey thats just it they tortured/drugged him to make him that way. Can't tell his side of the story if he's crazy.

The entire thing is pro-elitist anti-public propaganda.