Woman Arrested For Facebook Obama Post

reply to post by VaterOrlaag


presumeable you find it acceptable for the US goverment to force its will on the rest of the world while not allowing there own citizens freedom of speech, a very much do as i say not as i do attitude

Originally posted by polarwarrior
And the right were saying during the campaign "it has nothing to do with him being black"

Yep.
A small minority of people don't like Obama because he's black so any one who is a republican is a racist.

Very good.

You have quite the discerning eye.

Good job.

Originally posted by ManjushriPrajna
Why anybody would use Facebook anymore is beyond me. It's clear that it's the least private place on the internet.

There will be plenty more genius comments posted by... geniuses on FB and twitter.
I hope facebook & twitter get eliminated... maybe then we can get some quality work done in this country.


I'm assuming when the SS investigates these geniuses, it will go something like this...

"Sir, the genius works at Cold Stone Creamery in California."

"This investigation is complete."

"Ice cream anyone??!!!"

Besides, we all know all assassinations must get secret-government approval.

reply to post by Jerk_Idiot


I agree with you she did'nt say she was going to do it ! Knee jerk reaction of our govt. Honestly when he was first elected I though cool our country has turned a new page . But at the same time I worried if someone would end it just as fast . I believe in free speech and that's what she did ,voice her opinion . That is not a crime

reply to post by letseeit7


But if someone says that they hope you get murdered, you can press charges for threatening. The only difference is that in this case, the Secret Service instead of the police visit you. There was an incident my friend watched on Twitter recently, where a bored 14 year old told someone's daughter that she should stop having sex with her father, and told the father that she hoped they both got killed, as they deserved to. He was able to press charges against her for that.

I guess the folks in the Secret Sevice can consider themselves lucky that Obama won, otherwise, they would be working overtime investigating these stupid ass hats

But since Romney did not win, this will be a non issue, right?

Her mistake was she didn't properly disclaim her comment....
OOPS

Originally posted by Seiko
Even in my parents generation before the internet as we know it, it was always said never to say assassinate across a phone line. There's stating your racist opinion, and then there's calling for the death of the president of the "free world'.

It is the job of the secret service to take these threats very seriously.

Her post was stupid, it was posted for everyone to see, and her call was answered.

I put free world in quotes because with Barry O in the hot seat it becomes more and more restrictive everyday. I don't blame him personally I blame the whole team. You can't just blame one player for a team loss.

Back to the OP. I think that the SS or LEO followed up on her comment was the right path to take. I personally think that she is being used a model to tell the people "hey if we don't like what you have to say we will arrest you" so that people will deter from speaking their true feelings. I don't agree with anyone saying crazy things but you can't arrest someone for speaking. The president !> average joe. People threaten each other all the time. I'm sure there are thousands of death threats to people all over Facebook but the only time the CIA I mean Facebook pokes their head out is when the Potus is involved.

This is the CIA average work day.
"Hey Brian, a ton of coc aine is about the cross the US/Mexico border" "Customs will stop it, they have dogs or something like that don't they? They will find it"

"Hey Phil, Some 20 something drama queen from the midwest just threatened the Potus" "Holy # Brian! Arrest her and make a big deal about it" "Hey Phil this woman is white." "Move on her quick and put it on the news. We need people to know that we arrest white people from time to time too" "Yeah that's a great idea! We are so smart. We need a promotion!" "Yeah, I have been telling the brass about moving me to a missile silo" "Hell yeah brah, we can launch some nukes together!" "Hey and while you're on the phone with the news about this "developing local terrorist threat" raise the terror level another color. Times are getting tough you know" "Hahahahahaha" "hahahahahahah" "Stupid Americans" "hahahahaha"

Originally posted by The X
why the hell does her bosses think they have a right to sack her for something in her personal life?.
that is well out of their remit and is nothing to do with them, i hope she sues them for wrongful dismissal.

Some jobs make you sign an employment agreement where you commit to being a value to the community (mine does). Therefore anything that you do ( arrests, bad publicity, etc.) is cause for termination.

Typical over reaction on the part of the Secret Service...

There is a world of difference between stating that you are going to do something and stating that you wish something would happen without a specified actor.

I wish something (anything) would happen to end Obama's Presidency early too...

She had neither the intent nor the means to carry out the act herself nor the means or ability to fund, coordinate or to arrange the act through another party.

She just said something on the internet that people say a thousand times a day to each other; someone (likely a liberal supporter) tipped off the FB staff who tipped off the Secret Service who then, in typical fashion overreacted.

Like when they interviewed a kid (without his parents present BTW) who said the same thing about a year ago. A young old kid is not a credible threat...if I recall correctly the kid was like 9 or so.

Originally posted by GoldenRuled
Dont know how credible the link is. The lesson here is watch what you say. They will come for you now over this silly crap. Anyone that hinders the gov agenda gets a free vacation to some pseudo-guantanamo resort for a minimum of 4 more years . The eyes and ears are everywhere.

She wasn't arrested for a Facebook Obama Post.
She wasn't arrested for racism either.

She wasn't even arrested at all.

She is being investigated by the Secret Service for possibly making a threat against the Presidents life...which is a Class-D felony.

It's their job, no matter who the President is.

They don't have a sense of humor.

That's funny to you?
Someone saying that they hope the democratically elected President of the United States gets murdered?

To each his own, but personally that's a very unpatriotic thing to support.

Unless you threaten Romney, that is.

In case you hadn't noticed Romney isn't the President.

That's an entirely different situation, so why be so polarizing in your own thread?

If he feels he has been threatened he will have to call the police and see if it warrants an investigation.
Just like the rest of us.

Oh and she even wasn't 'joking'.
As she said herself on camera:

'The assassination part is harsh and I'm not saying that I would go and do that or anything like that by any means but if it was to happen I don't think I would care one bit,'

She also said she isn't racist despite calling the President the N-word.

Honestly...I hope she doesn't represent a majority of those on the Right.
Romney could have used some smarter supporters.



- Lee

Originally posted by VaterOrlaag
reply to post by polarwarrior

 

Racism?
She didn't call him racial slurs.

Yes she did. She said "Four more years of the *N-word" then hoped for him to be assassinated.

*my edit.

Originally posted by pandaski
reply to post by VaterOrlaag

 

presumeable you find it acceptable for the US goverment to force its will on the rest of the world while not allowing there own citizens freedom of speech, a very much do as i say not as i do attitude

Be reasonable here, or at least rational.
No one stopped her from saying what she did, but what she said has consequences.

You can say 'bomb' on a airplane, walk into a police station and say 'I molest children', or yell 'fire' in a movie theater if you like, just don't expect to walk away saying 'free-speech folks' and all is forgiven.

You will be detained, investigated, or even arrested.
That is not a violation of your free speech.

She could even be permanently banned from Facebook for this, and guess what?
That isn't even a violation of her Free Speech!

Using Facebook is a privilege, not a right, and she agreed to their terms and services before signing up.

Freedom of speech doesn't mean you can say whatever you want in ANY situation and not ever be held accountable whatsoever.

That's a serious mistake a lot of people around here STILL seem to make.

- Lee

Originally posted by Seiko
Even in my parents generation before the internet as we know it, it was always said never to say assassinate across a phone line. There's stating your racist opinion, and then there's calling for the death of the president of the free world.

It is the job of the secret service to take these threats very seriously.

Her post was stupid, it was posted for everyone to see, and her call was answered.

pretty sure he isn't the president of Australia...

please dont make sweeping generalisations about your president and our world

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
reply to post by GoldenRuled

 

Lesson learnt.

Don't go arond joking about assasinating your President. They take those threats VERY seriously, even in the most mundane of cases.

~Tenth

She didn't say she would assassinate him, she said, "maybe he will get assassinated", which Im sure many many people say. Maybe he'll slip on a banana peel tomorrow, and maybe the secret service would have placed it there, they certainly were involved in Kennedy. Is saying any of this a crime?

I don't think so!

This is a ludicrous case and she should sue her employers as well, they don't have the right to monitor her opinions or speech.

We have free speech.

However, all that being said, I don't think highly of any politician but don't judge him based on the politics he's in, think he's not being himself so to speak, but completely controlled, or his wings completely clipped.

I actually pray for him and all the leaders. For some courage, convictions, morals, conscious, Love and the impetus to break away from the following bad orders and protection and safety to do so. I don't like the other side's players at all. So when they call the kettle black its kind of interesting. Non racially said. I always thought he had convictions in the beginning, don't think politics is a place for anyone to be.

But what she said is free speech, she didn't say, I'm going to do this.....

reply to post by GoldenRuled


Did all the people who 'liked' her comment also get arrested? or investigated?

Wow. "Dont know how credible the link is."
"The lesson here is watch what you say."
They will come for you now over this silly crap."
Anyone that hinders the gov agenda gets a free vacation to some pseudo-guantanamo resort for a minimum of 4 more years."
The eyes and ears are everywhere."
They don't have a sense of humor. Unless you threaten Romney, that is."

I'm tired after jumping over all the conclusions here that are based on nothing. Here is what you sound like:

"I'm scared."
"I'm really scared and I hope I'm not the only one."
"Is there someone else out there as scared as me?"
"I've been told the government is a huge monster that will kill me if I get close to it."
"The government is a wizardly being that can hear and see everything, like God."
""My evidence is my feelings. I feel scared, therefore it's real."

What exactly is your evidence that we should be as scared as you are right now?

Originally posted by elrem48
reply to post by polarwarrior

 

And the right were saying during the campaign "it has nothing to do with him being black"

Riiight.

Correct me if I'm indeed wrong, but isn't Obama half "white," which is constantly overlooked...maybe because his features appear more "black" than white? I never understood his title as the first "black president."

edit on 11-11-2012 by elrem48 because: (no reason given)

I quite agree with you.

The political correct term is, I believe, "Off white".

Originally posted by Unity_99

She didn't say she would assassinate him, she said, "maybe he will get assassinated", which Im sure many many people say. Maybe he'll slip on a banana peel tomorrow, and maybe the secret service would have placed it there, they certainly were involved in Kennedy. Is saying any of this a crime?

She didn't say 'slip on a banana' she said 'assassinated'. Big difference.

It's a Class-D felony to threaten the life of the President.
She wasn't arrested. She wasn't imprisoned. She wasn't beaten.

She is being investigated by the Secret Service to see if what she said amounts to a legitimate threat. That's what should happen. That's their job.

It doesn't mean she committed a crime. That's what the 'investigation' part is all about.

This is a ludicrous case and she should sue her employers as well, they don't have the right to monitor her opinions or speech.

No need to 'monitor it', she posted it up in public for the entire world and gained national attention. She publicly and potentially insulted every African-American customer in her area plus potentially threatened the President of the U.S.

As far as court, she may or may not have a case at all.
Does she have a union contract? Work in the State of Montana?

If not, then she certainly can be fired for any reason if the employer feels she has reflected poorly on the business based on her personal behavior within the community and outside of work or violates other rules she agreed to.

Employment outside of Montana and a union contract is "At-Will".
Meaning you can be fired for personal behavior outside of your job.

Some employers now even have rules about using social media. She can contact the National Labor Relations Board if she feels it is unjust however and wait for a determination, but ultimately they can fire her. It's legal. Heed my words folks. You have the freedom to speak, they have the freedom to fire. Don't be ignorant of the laws and the actual power of your own rights.

We have free speech. But what she said is free speech

Everyone PLEASE read this segment of an article published earlier this year on the subject.
From Slate.com:

Can You Be Fired for What You Post on Facebook?

You might think the First Amendment decides the legal issue here, but it doesn’t. The Constitution protects free speech from government interference. In the private sector, however, courts have made management discretion the rule. Employees who don’t work for the government and aren’t in a union can be fired or punished for almost anything they say, wherever they say it. Business groups say companies need the authority to put the best person in the job and to shuffle as they deem necessary.

SLATE.com

Free speech can have consequences.

Just like here on ATS. You can post what you want but if it violates the terms and conditions by which YOU agreed to, you can be censored or banned.

It never amazes me how some people post the craziest and most personal things online and never expect there to be any repercussions whatsoever in their personal life. As if all of these things float into some vacuum of anonymity.

Using basic common sense should help you avoid these situations.

- Lee

reply to post by Unity_99


I"m not saying she threatened him either. What I am saying is that you should know better. In the 21st century with Big Brother looking over everything you do online, it should be no surprise that if you act like a fool on the internet, jokingly or not, they may come find you.

This is what happened.

~Tenth

Just an FYI....What she did wasn't Freedom of Speech. It was tiptoeing a VERY fine line between Protected Speech and Federal Crime. For reference....here is the specific statute.

USC Title 18 Sec. 871 - Threats against President and successors to the Presidency

(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, the President-elect, the Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President of the United States, or the Vice President-elect, or knowingly and willfully otherwise makes any such threat against the President, President-elect, Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President, or Vice President-elect, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

Source

It's also part of the core purpose and duty of the Secret Service to investigate *EVERY* threat which comes to their attention, however trivial or silly it might first seem. They aren't asked their opinion about the value in rousting a citizen for a dumb comment even the SS can likely see was nothing more.....they are required to go give her a bad time to confirm she doesn't have a screw loose.

As others have said...the Moral of the story here, I think, has to be that when one is pissed off....threatening other people's lives isn't cool. Threatening the lives of top national leaders might even be a felony with up to 5 years prison time behind it. It's simply the law...even if you're only kidding.