Twitter execution comment causes controversy

Twitter execution comment causes controversy

www.msnbc.msn.com

Comments about the execution of a prisoner — "I just gave the go ahead"— by Utah's attorney general on Twitter were generating lots of comments by others on the microblogging site and in the world of social media.

"A Tweet too far?" said a headline on website Mashable. "A sign of the times, although many may find it distasteful, or much worse," said TechCrunch. And Twitter users were appalled by the remarks.

"Utah AG ... plumbs new depths" tweeted Liliana Segura of Brooklyn. "I'm against the death penalty. And (against) using Twitter to announce a Utah execution," tweeted

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Wow another bad choice by our political leader, but to announce over twitter his plans to carry out execution of Gardner is about got me speechless.

I thought these people like the UTAH AG had more common sense than this? I Fear that this type of behavior is not going to go away.

I cannot wait till election time comes around.

What is up with out politicians these days?

www.msnbc.msn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

It's a sign of the times I guess. Twitter is a valid form of communication IMHO. We will all have to get used to this kind of thing both now and in the future.

IRM

Insensitive? Yes, maybe. But then again so were the actions of this murdering oxygen thief. Pardon me if i don't shed a tear.

Yall vie for transparency, yet when you have it, the morality questions begin to fly. I have no problem with someone tweeting information that's public to begin with.

reply to post by Mr Poopra

Insensitive? Yes, maybe. But then again so were the actions of this murdering oxygen thief. Pardon me if i don't shed a tear.

I wasn't saying we should cry about this, its just weird having the AG of Utah announce his intentions over twitter, that is all.

reply to post by InfaRedMan

We will all have to get used to this kind of thing both now and in the future.

Agreed, it just seems strange to tweet things I guess from the government.

What's the big deal? They announce on the news the guy has been executed so what's the difference if the AG tweets it? Now if he had said something like "I can't wait till this scumbag fries" well...

[edit on 18-6-2010 by hawkiye]

The ironic, sad thing is we still execute people in an era where we have Twitter.

reply to post by theability

What the hell do people want? They use these social networking sites at the expense of real relationships and conversations with people, yet when someone takes the initiative to get the news out by tweeting they get up in arms. Some of the things people talk about on twitter and Facebook would make a whore blush. The guys dead not much worse is gonna happen to him or his family.

reply to post by theability


Thank goodness for technologies like Twitter, huh?

I personally have been a holdout, thinking the whole thing rather self centered to tweet your every twitish thought, but I have been reconsidering of late.

The nice thing is that the most self centered DO tweet their every twitish thought, and expose themselves for what they really are thanks to the false send of privacy not looking another person in the eye gives.

I think its a good thing for people to say inappropriate things. It helps those people who do not easily see behind peoples social faces a glimpse of other human beings.

Originally posted by AndrewTB
Yall vie for transparency, yet when you have it, the morality questions begin to fly. I have no problem with someone tweeting information that's public to begin with.

I could not have said it better. I am not one for Twitter, or even the death penalty (any longer, but that is another thread, not that I will cry for those who are executed either) but at least this is transparent. I would rather know what my government is doing or thinking no matter their means of allowing me to know it than to be kept in the dark.

Raist

reply to post by Illusionsaregrander

hank goodness for technologies like Twitter, huh?

I personally have been a holdout, thinking the whole thing rather self centered to tweet your every twitish thought, but I have been reconsidering of late.

I have decided not to tweet my thoughts since there is no privacy what so ever with this...

As for the AG and his actions, I believe the chain of command has a set release precedence that has been established for decades. I doubt that twitter is a viable public release arena.

But to all there own, I figured that beign an AG you should follow the rules.

Originally posted by AndrewTB
Yall vie for transparency, yet when you have it, the morality questions begin to fly. I have no problem with someone tweeting information that's public to begin with.

This is so true...


This IS transparency.... at the highest level... as far as his family goes, I hate it for them, but this level of transparency is the least of their problems...

Okay, insensitive? Yep. Freedom of speech here though as far as I'm concerned. You have every right to write up and post something that make you look like a heartless, gutless, wanktard. Hopefully Utah's voting public will kick the bastard out in the next election.

The Justice system is meant to believe that were all supposedly fine by this judge announcing (on Twitter of all places) that he's going to MURDER (same thing) another Human being. When anyone else doing the same thing would have half the entire armed-response unit on their doorstep in a matter of minutes, and considered a "state threat." Hypocrisy at its finest.

reply to post by RUDDD49


Your post sums up what I was thinking, rather tasteless or an AG to do such things.

Again, politicians are to set examples right?

Good post.

Originally posted by Good Romance
The ironic, sad thing is we still execute people in an era where we have Twitter.

I'm sure there would be a similar mix of reactions if the news were about the regime in Iran announcing they had just executed some "traitors to the Islamic Revolution". State executions are barbaric and uncivilized although I would certainly agree that Iran is far more barbaric and uncivilized than Utah (stating the obvious). At least most states have stopped capital punishment from what I have been reading.

news.bbc.co.uk...

Wow, the man executed, Gardner, was executed by firing squad O.o.

Death row inmates were allowed to choose their method of execution up until 2004.

And I agree with many of the posters here. This is transparency, kinda creepy, but transparency O.o

reply to post by theability


Wouldnt you rather know the truth about the person that you are potentially going to vote for? Even if the truth is that they are insensitive and callous? I know I would. We cant have it both ways. We cant both have politicians who are honest about who they are and what they stand for and then send them messages that say they should conceal who they are and what they stand for.

If he is an insensitive callous jerk, great. At least we know it, and can vote him out and send in someone who by nature would not behave that way.

Our politicians lie to us in part because we ask them to. Thats something to consider.