Anonymous takes on WBC again

[Simo98]

Originally Posted by Pacman

Incorrect. The crime is "making terroristic threats." It's also False Information and Hoaxes, and could put you away for 5 years. This type of speech is NOT protected by the First Amendment.

Originally Posted by dmusic148

Are you kidding?! It's illegal to do so. Punishable by up to twenty years in prison.

The way I interpret it is that you're still allowed to say it under the guise of free speech, however your actions are punishable as they are in direct violation of another specific law. I'm no expert though.

It's not that you're not allowed to yell out about bombs, think about bombs, or even believe that there is a bomb, it's that in the particular scenario doing so involves breaking another specific law and in doing so you can be punished as such.

I guess by making such laws you are infringing on peoples right to "Free speech" as such, but it's more a case of them being punished for their actions which are deemed to be dangerous (threatening the lives of other people) rather than simply for their words.


If WBC were doing what they do purely out of malicious intent, I believe they would have been punished for their actions already, however as they are a "religious" organisation and are exercising their beliefs, they realistically have every right to do so.

The trick is in telling whether or not somebody does actually believe what they say they believe, or if they are just saying so because it allows them to do what they do. Unfortunately we can't tell what's inside another persons head, so there is no way of knowing if by stopping someone doing what they do you are in fact persecuting them over their beliefs.

[Pacman]

Originally Posted by Simo98

The way I interpret it is that you're still allowed to say it under the guise of free speech, however your actions are punishable as they are in direct violation of another specific law. I'm no expert though.

yeah, you're wrong. It's explicitly forbidden by law.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by Simo98

You're legally allowed to say it as far as I know, nobody can stop you, nor can you be persecuted for yelling that you have a bomb on a plane. Unless of course the airline itself has some sort of policy regarding this behavior and you accept a contractual agreement not to engage in it when you purchase your ticket, which I believe is likely the case.

ROFLMAO. Tell you what ... next time you're on a plane, give it a try. LOL.

[MarkMgibson]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

ROFLMAO. Tell you what ... next time you're on a plane, give it a try. LOL.

You got that right. I took my cousins (who were flying back to Ireland) to the airport last year, and I made a joke about "did you remember to pack that cocaine" (or something like that).

I was overheard by an airport employee, and you wouldn't believe the kind of grief I copped just for making a very obvious joke. They wanted to bring the police in, except I wasn't flying anywhere or holding a passport, so they were stuffed. They were mighty nasty about it though.

After that experience, I wouldn't even mention the word "bomb" in an airport. Hell, I wouldn't even think the word.

[Simo98]

Originally Posted by Pacman

yeah, you're wrong. It's explicitly forbidden by law.

Cool, handy to know. You're fairly informed on the subject, do you happen to know a good place where one would do further reading? In regards to US or international law that is.

In Australia we don't explicitly have the right to free speech, per-say. You have the right to speak out against the government without fear of persecution or arrest, however have little protection in regards to civil cases.

Although there was one case of a guy a decade ago or so encouraging people to vote as an "Invalid ballot" (as we are required by law to vote here in Aus) who was arrested and sentenced for it. It was later re-appealed and the sentence lifted afaik, however they invented a new law to cover their ass incase somebody tries something similar again regarding "Intent to mislead a voter" or something to that degree.

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

ROFLMAO. Tell you what ... next time you're on a plane, give it a try. LOL.

I think you have to be some sort of total imbecile to do so. That being said, there's plenty out there.


Last time I read the terms and conditions upon purchasing tickets I made note of the part that basically says if they feel you are causing a disturbance and need to remove you from the plane, they can re-schedule the flight, land, remove you from the aircraft, and then continue on their merry way leaving you financially responsible for any costs incurred in doing so.

I think several thousand dollars in fuel expenses would be enough, let alone administration charges and the loss incurred by pushing back the flight schedule of a national scale airline. You'd be looking at a pretty hefty bill I think....

And piss off a lot of people who are locked within close proximity of you a long way up in the sky

[Simo98]

Originally Posted by MarkMgibson

After that experience, I wouldn't even mention the word "bomb" in an airport. Hell, I wouldn't even think the word.

A guy I know who is a pilot for one of the major airlines here was reprimanded for a similar incident.

He was fairly fed up with all the security and bomb checks they make the pilots go through to ensure they don't bring weapons or explosive into the cockpit. He decided to point out that 1. Sitting on the wall behind him in the cockpit is a rather large and menacing looking fireaxe and that 2. If he wanted to blow up the plane he could just, y'know, crash it into something, considering he's the one flying it.

Turns out airport security staff don't take jokes of that manner all too well. He certainly has a point though

[bongomania]

Even apart from the fact that it is explicitly against the law to say anything remotely terroristic in an airport, it is also the public policy of airport security across the US to detain anyone who even cracks a joke on the subject, and then hand the joker over to federal police for questioning.

Believe it or not, that was even the case (in some airports) before 9/11; I thought I was being witty once at SFO back around 1990, and was detained for a few hours (not by feds though, just airport police).

[aborgman]

Originally Posted by Pacman

Incorrect. The crime is "making terroristic threats." It's also False Information and Hoaxes, and could put you away for 5 years. This type of speech is NOT protected by the First Amendment.

Correct - but there is no "prior restraint" and that is the important point.

You're allowed to say it (or yell fire in a theater) - you just may have to face the consequences of doing so.

[C.Linton]

Originally Posted by Simo98

A guy I know who is a pilot for one of the major airlines here was reprimanded for a similar incident.

He was fairly fed up with all the security and bomb checks they make the pilots go through to ensure they don't bring weapons or explosive into the cockpit. He decided to point out that 1. Sitting on the wall behind him in the cockpit is a rather large and menacing looking fireaxe and that 2. If he wanted to blow up the plane he could just, y'know, crash it into something, considering he's the one flying it.

Turns out airport security staff don't take jokes of that manner all too well. He certainly has a point though

Nor should they. I'd rather they hassle an innocent smartass than let a potential terrorist get thru the cracks because they thought he was "joking".

[macaroni tony]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Even apart from the fact that it is explicitly against the law to say anything remotely terroristic in an airport, it is also the public policy of airport security across the US to detain anyone who even cracks a joke on the subject, and then hand the joker over to federal police for questioning.

Believe it or not, that was even the case (in some airports) before 9/11; I thought I was being witty once at SFO back around 1990, and was detained for a few hours (not by feds though, just airport police).

There's some rock musician (can't remember who it was) who said something about a bomb, and he was talking about smoking a cigarette. Or something like that. He was taken off the plane and detained for a few hours...this was the 80's. I think

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by Bloodhammer

A gay friend of mine (normally, I wouldn't use that -or any qualifier - except that in this context, it's relevant) who lived in New Orleans for a few years told me that the WBC people regularly protest gay pride rallies there. He says that they (the ralliers) have a ton of fun photo-bombing them and just generally screwing with them with pranks and what not. According to him, the LGBT folks dumped glitter on the WBC protesters from the roof of a building one year! They were covered in it! He said they looked hopeless at that point and the police would do nothing to help them.

There are lots of photos of WBC protests being trolled. The best way to fight hateful free speech, is with loving free speech.

[LiquidMidnight]

Originally Posted by MAJOR METAL

They appear to be more preoccupied with homosexuality than any of the friends I have who happen to be gay.

Haha, tru dat!

I read somewhere that it's actually against the law to protest the WBC during one of their services. Apparently, Topeka has a law that it's illegal to protest a church service. I don't know if that's true or not. If it is, then what's good for the goose...

[Simo98]

Originally Posted by C.Linton

Nor should they. I'd rather they hassle an innocent smartass than let a potential terrorist get thru the cracks because they thought he was "joking".

What sort of terrorist gets to airport security and says "Oh, don't look in that bag guys, that's where the bombs are!"


I mean. Seriously. Who gives a **** what you say, you still go through exactly the same security procedures either way .

[UncleFluffy]

Originally Posted by Simo98

What sort of terrorist gets to airport security and says "Oh, don't look in that bag guys, that's where the bombs are!"

The same sort who would tick the "yes" box on question C of the I94-W form on entry to the US.

(I mean ... "are you a terrorist? Yes/No" ... really?)

[VitalSigns]

I hate the word "terrorist"....

[SoonerMatt]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

There are lots of photos of WBC protests being trolled. The best way to fight hateful free speech, is with loving free speech.

Yup. Less WBC crap, more like this

[MarkMgibson]

Originally Posted by Simo98

What sort of terrorist gets to airport security and says "Oh, don't look in that bag guys, that's where the bombs are!"


I mean. Seriously. Who gives a **** what you say, you still go through exactly the same security procedures either way .

Yeah, can't anyone take a joke these days? When I said the cocaine thing, it was so obviously a joke; I couldn't believe it when airport security detained me (for 2 hours). Hell, I wasn't even a passenger! Oddly enough, they didn't do any extra searches with my my relatives, so they knew it was a joke. Very un-Australian I thought, and I told them so in no uncertain terms. Security is one thing, but I do believe it's gone way too far. It's become an industry now, and they employ a lot of keystone cops with no common sense.

[Ripper]

Originally Posted by VitalSigns

I hate the word "terrorist"....

And I hate the word "Millennial."