Should trolls be arrested?

[DBryan]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-14894576

This guy trolled the memorial pages of dead people.

Should that be an arrestable offence?

 

[ThDWgeek]

Hmm. While I would like to see some retribution for the worse things that they've done, It's got to be a no. There'd be too much of a grey area over what actually constitutes trolling, and it would be a nightmare to try and prosecute anyone convicted of trolling.

 

[WildcatNC]

No. He gets what he deserves otherwise though.

 

[Brain Damage]

My first reaction when reading the thread title was an immediate "no".
But this guy is scum. It's one thing to post things like this on /b/. It's quite another to post it on a memorial page started up by the family.

 

[ThDWgeek]

Whoa, I didn't even read the link. But I hope he gets his.

 

[POWdER-man]

This guy targetted people who are dealing with the worst kind of loss, the loss of their children. He deserves what he gets and probable more.

However in saying that the typical troll around something such as a Superhero Forum, I would say no. Maybe a kick in the pants in some situations but no more.

 

[WildcatNC]

I think Law Enforcement should be able to do nothing but reveal the identity of the Troll to the family.

 

[THE MR. TERRIFIC]

I hope he gets "trolled" in prison!

 

[Brain Damage]

I hope he gets "trolled" in prison!

 

[DoomsdayApex]

No. Trolling is protected by the Constitution.

However, that shall not protect his a** from a whoopin', and the local law enforcement branch from looking the other way.

 

[C. Lee]

Yep...arrest him, fine him, jail him......

 

[DoomsdayApex]

Then you might as well start arresting hundreds of thousands to millions of people (possibly).

 

[Lord]

After what he did?
He deserves to be arrested

 

[Metamorpho1977]

If I've learned anything from Grimm's Fairy Tales, if you ignore a troll, it will go away.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

Any form of free speech is protected. You can't nitpick.

Therefore, it's not about what we want.

 

[Monsieur Xavier]

Jail for that ? No
Fine, ban from social network sites for X time, yes.

 

[C. Lee]

Then you might as well start arresting hundreds of thousands to millions of people (possibly).

A guys gotta do what a guys gotta do. Trolls like that are dispicable and need to be done away with.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

It's disgusting, but he is not breaking a law nor is he committing the act of murder.

I'm sorry, but this isn't Iran.

Hopefully he'll get his in another form of punishment but his freedoms should not be taken away, or this could come back and bite America's citizens in the a**.

 

[Teelie]

Any form of free speech is protected. You can't nitpick.

Therefore, it's not about what we want.

But is this free speech? Free speech does not mean you can say anything and get away with it. There are limitations when it comes to threats and acts of violence against others.

Whether this would be free speech is also spurious. Is it really speech that qualifies? Regardless of whether it is jail is excessive. A fine or forced community service in a relevant area should be sufficient. Only if the trolling were such that it caused a violent reaction against someone or suicide would I even consider jailing someone for trolling as despicable as trolls are.

 

[C. Lee]

I think his freedoms do need to be taken away. He doesn't respect other's rights or feelings....he doesn't appreciate what it means to be a decent person...

 

[Anubis]

Anonymous used to take care of *****e bags like that, but now they're too busy trying to get themselves thrown into prison for treason.

 

[FilmNerdJamie]

A certain screenwriter/producer of a big popular blockbuster and its forthcoming sequel (Hint: Bob Orci) tweeted a 5 year old conspiracy article. On Sunday. The 10th anniversary of 9/11. On purpose.

And he's a despicable human being for doing that. Unfortunately it's also his God given American right of free speech to get to post that no matter how tasteless and inappropriate as it was.

The same applies for this moron in the UK and it pains me to say that.

 

[Teelie]

Looking at the photo of him posted in the article, he does remind me of what I typically think of the stereotypical troll behind the screen. Short and stocky with a close-cropped haircut, beady-looking eyes, a bit overweight and with that look on their face when they aren't busy trolling people. He even looks kind of pale but the picture is not good enough to tell. Besides that he looks normal, just has a really bad disposition and very antisocial.

That's very generalized image but he fits it so well.

 

[Lighthouse]

I agree with Doomsday and Jamie. It's despicable, but still freedom of speech.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

I think his freedoms do need to be taken away. He doesn't respect other's rights or feelings....he doesn't appreciate what it means to be a decent person...

That may be so, but I hope you can hold on to that opinion in case one day any form of speech will be challenged, and society takes another 12 steps back.