This girl was pulled out of class and questioned by 2 Secret Service men who told her that she could do jail time for what she had on her space about President Bush. The 2 SS men had even been to her parent's house before they went to the school. What has happened to freedom of speech??
2006-10-16 04:24:02 · 16 answers · asked by Pamela J 3 in News & Events ➔ Other - News & Events
I am getting illuminated about the United States, thank you.
2006-10-16 04:50:23 · update #1
Well there's freedom of speech and then there's making a death threat against the President...which, even if it is an idle threat, is still a federal offense. I think it was pretty foolish to put something like that on the web...I'm against the war in Iraq as well, but I don't think I'd ever go around talking about k. illing the President, and I certainly wouldn't use MySpace for my soapbox. Her behavior was immature but then again she is only 14...her parents are really the ones who are at fault here. A 14-year-old has no business being on MySpace w/o at least some level of parental guidance. She and her family learned a lesson the hard way--questioning by the Secret Service, being humiliated at her school--concerning their irresponsibility. I bet she doesn't do anything like that again! I probably sound harsh, but serves her right. She should count her blessings she's not in juvie. This was not political sentiment--it was downright foolishness.
2006-10-16 04:45:03 · answer #1 · answered by peachy78 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You do not have a constitutional right to threaten anyone, even the President. If the threat seems viable enough the Secret Service has the duty to investigate.
2006-10-16 05:52:41 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Freedom of speech is one thing, but when it comes to the President, you really lose that right. If there is anything documented or said with a witness in physically harming the President, that person could be held accountable if something were to happen to the President. Now, I could say something in reference to harming you and probalby nobody would care. It sucks to be an average everyday human, huh?
2006-10-16 04:32:42 · answer #3 · answered by ? 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Have you any idea what the credibility of this information is? What jumps right to the front of my mind is that this person might've made some sort of threat or something that sounded 'terrorist-like'. I agree with the other responder -- the SS does not just show up for little stuff.
2006-10-16 04:33:28 · answer #4 · answered by harleyhon444 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
if you do the crime even if joking it is still a crime; and weather or not we like or dislike the current represenative figure head of our nation {i.e. the president}, does not give anyone the right weather joking or in earnest to threaten his life, plus remember it is a federal felony to threaten the president. and how do we know, she might be the next stallin / hitler / jeffrey dalmer / leader of a radical sheit cell / or other form of subversive factor that does not care about harming inocent civilians , in order to strike at our govt., so yes she needed questioned and held and charged. if you do not like it here in america move elsewhere, if you don't like the president vote for someone else or if necessary call for a vote of no confidence and have him removed from office, but do not threaten his life or his familys life, do you want your life threatened ?
2006-10-16 04:38:02 · answer #5 · answered by grim_reaper_69 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Freedom of speech does not include the right to threaten to kill someone or ask someone to kill someone or advocate killing someone. She advocated and called for the death of the President. Tough on her for being questioned. She can say what she wants, she can advocate what she wants but she also has to accept responsability for her actions.
2006-10-16 05:25:02 · answer #6 · answered by JB 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
C'mon Pamela, grow up !!! You can't go around putting stuff about killing the President on your MySpace. Yeah, she's probably a latch-key kid who had no parental guidance, but that doesn't give her an excuse.
YOu should know the rules about freedom of speech.
2006-10-16 04:34:24 · answer #7 · answered by snvffy 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I am in complete agreement with snvffy... freedom of speech DOES NOT entail freedom of death threats. If the girl had threatened to kill, lets say you, and you had no way of knowing she wasn't serious, action would be taken. I guarantee it.
2006-10-16 09:12:16 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think you quite understand that, depending on the content of the speech,when it comes to the president it is not so free. This is not the first time something of this nature has occurred...although it could be the first to do with myspace.
2006-10-16 04:33:04 · answer #9 · answered by Sunidaze 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Cos with Bush in office if you dare make a joke or even say something bad bout Bush you can get thrown in jail or/and tried for treason.
2006-10-16 05:05:04 · answer #10 · answered by baddrose268 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋