Justin Carter, kid jailed for a sarcastic Facebook comment

[eddie25]

Rich people never screw me. Just the government and the thug overclass of ill-intentioned gangstas.

The government and their gangsters are all rich though right? But yeah, I apologize for incorrectly using the umbrella term of "wealthy", when what I meant was basically what you have described. The people who decide how things go down, who use their money to "play the game." I'll say it again, I'm not anti-rich, I'm just saddened by the fact that they have more rights than the poor.

[cbass]

Most rich people suck,most poor people suck, most middle class people suck.Did I leave anyone out?

[rp]

I never got a paycheck from a poor person.

We all get paychecks from the poor. The powerful squeeze them dry, that's why they're poor.

[Structo]

Getting back to the original topic for a moment....

Pretty stupid for that kid to post something like that in this day and age.

Sometimes you just have to face consequences for your actions.

OK, carry on with the derailment.

[NickC]

Getting back to the original topic for a moment....

Pretty stupid for that kid to post something like that in this day and age.

Sometimes you just have to face consequences for your actions.

OK, carry on with the derailment.

Yes, it was stupid. But Freedom Of Speech does not exclude stupidity (nor should it). It certainly wasn't walking into a crowded room and screaming "FIRE!".

[eddie25]

Getting back to the original topic for a moment....

Pretty stupid for that kid to post something like that in this day and age.

Sometimes you just have to face consequences for your actions.

OK, carry on with the derailment.

I'm amazed. I really don't think this is a proper consequence of actions. It was clearly sarcastic and while insensitive, is something that people of all ages do on a daily basis, just not on Facebook. My nephew sarcastically says he's gonna kill me all the time and he's a caring and sensitive kid. We can't jail people because some idiots can't detect sarcasm on the Internet.

Anyhow, just my opinion, thanks for the input.

[Teleguy61]

But....
he put the threat in print, and published it on the internet.

I'm not taking a side here, just pointing out a fact.

[cbass]

I think a severe ass whoopin from his daddy is fit for this act of dumbassery

[Scumback Speakers]

Getting back to the original topic for a moment....

Pretty stupid for that kid to post something like that in this day and age.

Sometimes you just have to face consequences for your actions.

OK, carry on with the derailment.

I'm afraid I'd have to agree with Structo. Even though that kid put LOL/JK, etc after the rant/comment, that's not good enough.

My ex neighbor was a TSA employee at LAX. He said they were instructed to listen for any number of "catch words" that would trigger action against the person saying them.

Obviously stuff like "terrorist", "bomb", etc were among them. I don't know, but I can only surmise that with all the recent stuff that's happened in Texas with that army doctor blazing away, and who knows how many other incidents, that people are way more protective there and not going to give anyone much slack.

Of course, proper upbringing and a good old fashioned butt kicking of an unruly kid does come to mind if they're mouthy.

I feel sorry for any parent trying to raise a kid in this day and age with all of the media blitz of bad manners/language and such. It must be tough.

[eddie25]

But....
he put the threat in print, and published it on the internet.

I'm not taking a side here, just pointing out a fact.

So shouldn't the guy who wrote that "pumped up kicks" song be in jail?

[eddie25]

Getting back to the original topic for a moment....

Pretty stupid for that kid to post something like that in this day and age.

Sometimes you just have to face consequences for your actions.

OK, carry on with the derailment.

I'm afraid I'd have to agree with Structo. Even though that kid put LOL/JK, etc after the rant/comment, that's not good enough.

My ex neighbor was a TSA employee at LAX. He said they were instructed to listen for any number of "catch words" that would trigger action against the person saying them.

Obviously stuff like "terrorist", "bomb", etc were among them. I don't know, but I can only surmise that with all the recent stuff that's happened in Texas with that army doctor blazing away, and who knows how many other incidents, that people are way more protective there and not going to give anyone much slack.

Of course, proper upbringing and a good old fashioned butt kicking of an unruly kid does come to mind if they're mouthy.

I feel sorry for any parent trying to raise a kid in this day and age with all of the media blitz of bad manners/language and such. It must be tough.

Dear lord, I'm speechless.

Please answer the question in my last post.

[vibratoking]

I don't know what you guys are saying here. The kid deserves to be locked up and harassed by the system?

This is clearly a fucked up system abusing a rather foolish kid. Nothing more and nothing less.

[NickC]

I don't know what you guys are saying here. The kid deserves to be locked up and harassed by the system?

This is clearly a fucked up system abusing a rather foolish kid. Nothing more and nothing less.

+1 Amen

[Scumback Speakers]

So shouldn't the guy who wrote that "pumped up kicks" song be in jail?

Not familiar with that song, sorry. But it's a song, and not being directed at one person, right? It's within an entertainment (song/lyrics) context. That's a little different than an FB post reply, IMO.

I don't know what you guys are saying here. The kid deserves to be locked up and harassed by the system? This is clearly a fucked up system abusing a rather foolish kid. Nothing more and nothing less.

Nope, that's not what I'm saying. What I am saying is that the general public is more on edge than ever. Kids post suicide notes on FB, then they commit suicide. Everyone goes "Why didn't we listen? Why didn't we help?"

Then this kid, right or wrong, puts his post on FB, and boy did he get listened to...right into jail.

A lot of people have got this idea that there's freedom of speech in this country. You are sadly mistaken. Everywhere there is more scrutiny of what people are saying for hidden agendas, or messages. Ask the NSA and this Snowden mess...for example.

And what with the multiple terrorist activities across the world, all the security agencies are watching what everyone says.

You can gripe about it, sure. I didn't say jailing this kid was right, but here's a little fact for you...I disagreed with an IRS supervisor over how her field auditor handled my audit (he showed up with a broken laptop, he got it the day before, didn't check the software or to see if it was running before he made my accountant and I meet him at 7:30 am in downtown Culver City).

So I told her that this idiot needed to learn to do his job, and that if she couldn't see why that offended me to pay my acct $210 per hour to photocopy this guy my tax returns, then she was an idiot for not making sure he was prepared before costing me so much money. Ultimately I won the audit, no change, but it cost me $3600 in acct fees. I filed a formal complaint against him, and her for incompetence.

But here's the kicker, ready?

After I complained to her about her employee, and how he was an idiot, and she should have made sure the new laptop worked...she called the Secret Service and said I threatened her.

They were on my doorstep the next morning trying to figure out why I had threatened the life of an IRS supervisor. But they admitted that since she was from somewhere overseas and was a naturalized citizen, that they couldn't quite make out whether she said I terrorized her on the phone or if I was a terrorist. Apparently they also noticed she didn't have full command of the English language (as an IRS supervisor...that's rich).

They just wanted to clarify that with me...with their Glocks cocked and ready. They also wanted to know if my pit bull was going to come through the security door at them. I had to refer them to this story. which they found amusing: http://www.scumbackspeakers.com/name.html

This was in 2004 by the way, well after 9/11, but it goes to show the mindset of people, right or wrong, and their interpretations of what you wrote, said, or posted online, doesn't it?

So trust me...here's the deal...if the country weren't so paranoid about violence, terrorists, bombings, etc, etc...I doubt this kid would have gone to jail.

But the woman who turned him in sure made it happen, huh? And here's the last coincidence (or not), both of my last encounters with law enforcement were instigated by women.

Ok, rant over...hope that helps explain my thoughts on this.

[eddie25]

I can respect how you have formed your opinion I guess. But... and I know you will disagree, to me what you are saying is that people in the entertainment business should have more rights than some dumb kid who thinks they are making a joke (entertainment, just not business) on the Internet. I just don't see it that way. To me that goes along with "wealthy (used loosely again) people have more rights."

The song by the way, a recent hit, is about shooting a group of kids and there is no indication that its not a serious threat except the word of the author.

I just can't take the "it's messed up, deal with it" approach. I have a hard time accepting this, because from a young age I was taught that freedom of speech was important.

Thanks for sharing your story though.