If you were part of a social networking website (Facebook, 'cause I is a name-dropper) that refused to take down a page dedicated to a psychopathic lunatic—one of far too many people out there for whom a miscarriage would have been a blessing—that encouraged anti-police violence, and gave some semblance of creedence to the testosterone-soaked, thuggish culture that is flourishing in this country (Britain), wouldn't you be shocked?Prime Minister David Cameron even demanded that the killer's digusting memorial page be removed, expressing his horror at it and enquiring of Facebook if it had any respect for the victims and the majority—or what I dearly hope is the majority—of the nation that felt nothing but revlusion for Raoul Moat and his crimes.
Raoul Moat is a former bouncer, a steroid-raging creature who shot dead his ex-girfriend and her new boyfriend, and nearly killed a policeman, who is now disabled as a result of his encounter with Moat.
Facebook refused. They responded that they did not care to get involved because everyone has the right to free expression. Isn't that just groovy? I wanted to see if there were any Charles Manson, Jon Venables or Josef Fritzl fan pages on Facebook, but I was too frightened to conduct that research. I feared the worst, which is to say, I was confident of finding them.
The lesson to be learned from this, apparently, is not that Facebook will allow any garbage to flourish on their site, but that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom doesn't support free speech. Bummer, man.
I announced that I was leaving Facebook in protest, and the support I received was nothing short of underwhelming. The cumulative response was something along the lines of what sort of fascist, authoritarian creep was I for denying such obviously outstanding citizens their right to free speech?
When I stated that I needed no lessons in defending free speech, taking into account my experience in helping to revive the student newspaper during my college days, and therefore no-one had better dare to lecture me about that subject, I was told, "It's got nothing to do with a dare, but everything to do with free speech." Brick wall, anyone? (This same wingnut accused me of being as bad as Moat because I support capital punishment. As I'm sure he would tell you, he deserves an award for that.)
I would, of course, tell you of any supportive replies I received if not for the fact that they were completely non-existent.
Thirty-thousand people expressed their total love and devotion to a paranoid killer, a monster, and that's of no concern whatsoever to these self-dubbed Voltaires. There is no line you can't cross these days, unless you're calling terrorists well, "terrorists." Then, lo and behold, we find that there is no such thing as free speech!
But making a heroic figure out of a murderous bully? Who cares? There are more important things to worry about, such as when will the next Strictly Come Dancing show be on and does KFC have a new range of sauces?
I guess I shouldn't be surprised by any of this, considering we're living in a society that thinks ass-crack is a fashion accessory.
The page did come down two days ago, but not through any official decision made by Facebook themselves. The creator of the site de-activated it. Turns out, whatever decent people are left in the world were harrassing and threatening her. So, citing personal safety concerns, she removed the page from the site. But she still feels that Mr. Moat is "legend" and hopes to re-activate the page if/when the furor dies down.
The good First Amendment stalwarts at Facebook, meanwhile, will still be operating out of their collective back passage while the Ted Bundy Love-In page attracts more than 100,000 admirers.
6 comments:
I simply don't understand this kind of devotion for killers and criminals. Gang members give autographs, deeply disturbed serial killers get love letters from (also disturbed) women - and now a facebook-group? It is appalling in so many levels.
A consequence of a free society is that their are going to be things that we find repugnant that will be allowed. If face book was to take that page down than it is not a free speech issue. Free speech restraints are only intended to restraining government. Their are civil liabilities that might come in play if such a page was to slander or demean someone. It is sometimes hard to determine just what the limits of free speech are. Since I have not seen and do not intend to look for pages of this sort I cannot comment on if they are covered by free speech amendments or not. Their are two reasons why I see that it is an advantage to keep those sites active. One, just don't go there. Two, it is a great way for law inforcement to keep tabs on the nut cases that are out there.
And another good reason not to join Facebook.
True nutters show their colors with stuff like this. Absolutely disgusting.
My Sharp Tongue: Appalling, indeed.
Roc: That's a good point about the validity of such sites re: the police being able to monitor the criminal element crawling out of the compost pile. But, my understanding is, if it encourages violence and criminal activity, it's not covered by statutes determining free speech or expression but a threat against society in general. Which means, naturally, it ought to be taken very seriously.
K: Well, these "elements" have always existed -- you've always had women writing to violent prisoners and expressing their lifelong devotion to them, for instance -- but, unfortunately, it's been multiplied to the nth degree. Funny how for all the talk of how liberal and live-and-let-live our society has become, it's also, at the same time, more violent, irrational and paranoid than ever.
Dragon, I think their has to be some specificity to the threat, ie...we are going to do so and so, not someone should do so and so. I think but I am not certain and I also do not know the differences in law between the US and Great Brittain. What I do know is that their will be some things in a free society that the majority of us will not like and I'm sure that you like me does not want a dictatership of the majority.
I'm so far behind on things, I didn't even know you'd left facebook. Sorry to hear this. With facebook, you just have to ignore stupid, which is a lot of facebook.
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