Off Topic: The Flood
This topic has moved here: Subject: Awesome move Dad, your son is going to turn out great!
  • Subject: Awesome move Dad, your son is going to turn out great!
Subject: Awesome move Dad, your son is going to turn out great!
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Well, here we are. I guess that it was destined to come to this.

I can tell you that as an adult, there are things that I can legally say to other adults without consequence or any legal/criminal difficulty, but if I were to say the exact same thing to a minor? Criminal act.

The level of mocking, disrespect and threatening that I can reasonably make against another adult is FAR more than I can reasonably and legally make against a minor.

They are not adults, they are a protected class of citizen, and our laws reflect that.

Kid harasses adult? The adult is expected to be the adult and accept it.

Kid harasses kid? no harm no foul depending on the extent and circumstances.

Adult harasses kid? Get a freaking lawyer because you are going to need one.

Adult harasses adult? Get a freaking lawyer because you are going to need one.

See the pattern? It is the level of expected responsibility of the harasser, not the target that makes the act criminal, the maturity and age and strength of the victim only increases the criminal liability of the perpetrator.

  • 11.28.2012 4:49 PM PDT


Posted by: RockdaleRooster
How precisely is this a crime? It's not a nice thing to do but illegal seems like a stretch. Plus first amendment guarantees freedom of speech so technically he shouldn't have been charged at all. Of course that doesn't protect him from repercussions from others but I believe it would from the government.


I can be charged with disorderly conduct for screaming into a megaphone in the road (even if I otherwise have the right to be there). I could be charged with menacing for harassing or intimidating someone.

Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to harass others.

  • 11.28.2012 4:51 PM PDT

Posted by: Recon Number 54
See the pattern? It is the level of expected responsibility of the harasser, not the target that makes the act criminal, the maturity and age and strength of the victim only increases the criminal liability of the perpetrator.
And this is what I have a problem with. Being irresponsible isn't a criminal act, and verbal harassment to anyone shouldn't be.

  • 11.28.2012 4:52 PM PDT


Posted by: jacob crawford
I don't agree with a jail sentence.

Look, I've worked with mentally challenged children before (or whichever politically correct term you prefer to choose from), and I don't believe jail time is the proper course of action. An educational course on humanism and community service having to work with special needs/mentally challenged children would have done more justice here.

Jail are needed, IMO, for hardened, truly law breaking citizens. Not things like this. This is, after all, just an opinion. What he did was wrong, for sure, but jail? Naw.
I agree with you. I think community service would have been a much more suitable punishment.

  • 11.28.2012 4:52 PM PDT
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Why does the 10 year old have boobs? Dafuq are they putting in our food!?

  • 11.28.2012 4:59 PM PDT
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Well, here we are. I guess that it was destined to come to this.

Posted by: Garem
....Being irresponsible isn't a criminal act, and verbal harassment to anyone shouldn't be.

So, because these idiots only SAID irresponsible things and didn't actually DO anything to anyone (minor OR adult) they are NOT committing a criminal act?

Because saying those things to a fellow adult is 100% non-criminal.

  • 11.28.2012 4:59 PM PDT

Just dance 4- Lindsey Stirling

Dead-body-ologist at The U.S. Army 18th Medical Command

And the award for douche of the week goes to....

  • 11.28.2012 5:00 PM PDT


Posted by: MrBojangles136
You can be jailed for that?

What a terrible justice system.

  • 11.28.2012 5:01 PM PDT
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How is this even grounds for a jail sentence? They need to get over it.

  • 11.28.2012 5:02 PM PDT

Online ID: GriffGraff15

All the kid has to do is stand up straight, brush himself off, and move on.

  • 11.28.2012 5:02 PM PDT
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One of the main goals of Western justice systems is to protect society's most disadvantaged members.

Also, the video stated that the man had been harassing the girl for months.

Several people have mentioned the Dad's right to free speech gives him the ability to mock another person, but have not given any thought to the rights of the other party. At least in Canadian Law, individuals have the right to security of the person, which includes their physical and mental health. It is very easy to argue that months of harassment, especially towards a minor (regardless of disability), infringes on their right to security of the person.

Sorry, but a guy's right to make an ass of himself should not, and does not allow him to cause physical or mental harm to another.

That is a tenant of nearly every Western legal system; An individual cannot use their rights to infringe upon the rights of another.

If the Dad doesn't like the sentence, he can call a lawyer.

[Edited on 11.28.2012 5:05 PM PST]

  • 11.28.2012 5:03 PM PDT


Posted by: westpointusma15
All the kid has to do is stand up straight, brush himself off, and move on.
>the kid is a girl
>she can't stand up straight
>she's not the best at moving

[Edited on 11.28.2012 5:06 PM PST]

  • 11.28.2012 5:03 PM PDT
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Posted by: coolmike699

Posted by: RockdaleRooster
How precisely is this a crime? It's not a nice thing to do but illegal seems like a stretch. Plus first amendment guarantees freedom of speech so technically he shouldn't have been charged at all. Of course that doesn't protect him from repercussions from others but I believe it would from the government.


I can be charged with disorderly conduct for screaming into a megaphone in the road (even if I otherwise have the right to be there). I could be charged with menacing for harassing or intimidating someone.

Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to harass others.

Your interpretation of the law is horrible.

  • 11.28.2012 5:05 PM PDT

Posted by: Recon Number 54
Posted by: Garem
....Being irresponsible isn't a criminal act, and verbal harassment to anyone shouldn't be.

So, because these idiots only SAID irresponsible things and didn't actually DO anything to anyone (minor OR adult) they are NOT committing a criminal act?

Because saying those things to a fellow adult is 100% non-criminal.
No, saying those things to a fellow adult who doesn't consent is 100% sex­ual harassment, and illegal.

The point where you're essentially threatening someone is the point where it's definitely illegal.

  • 11.28.2012 5:11 PM PDT

Online ID: GriffGraff15


Posted by: dtyler27106

Posted by: westpointusma15
All the kid has to do is stand up straight, brush himself off, and move on.
>the kid is a girl
>she can't stand up straight
>she's not the best at moving

Good, you understood the joke.

I put "himself" because that's what Recon put in the thread title

[Edited on 11.28.2012 5:13 PM PST]

  • 11.28.2012 5:12 PM PDT


Posted by: westpointusma15

Posted by: dtyler27106

Posted by: westpointusma15
All the kid has to do is stand up straight, brush himself off, and move on.
>the kid is a girl
>she can't stand up straight
>she's not the best at moving

Good, you understood the joke.

I put "himself" because that's what Recon put in the thread title
Cool. Do I get a cookie?

  • 11.28.2012 5:15 PM PDT
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Well, here we are. I guess that it was destined to come to this.


Posted by: Garem
Posted by: Recon Number 54
Posted by: Garem
....Being irresponsible isn't a criminal act, and verbal harassment to anyone shouldn't be.

So, because these idiots only SAID irresponsible things and didn't actually DO anything to anyone (minor OR adult) they are NOT committing a criminal act?

Because saying those things to a fellow adult is 100% non-criminal.
No, saying those things to a fellow adult who doesn't consent is 100% sex­ual harassment, and illegal.

The point where you're essentially threatening someone is the point where it's definitely illegal.
This young lady was not consenting to her harassment by an adult. Do you see that?

You're saying that an adult has the right to harass a minor, as long as it isn't sex harassment? So sex is the illegal point, not the fact that a responsible adult is expected to leave kids alone and not make them feel threatened or in fear for their safety (which is the reason behind the menacing charge that the individual in question said "I am guilty of this crime").

I am amazed at the needle that you are trying to thread here.

  • 11.28.2012 5:16 PM PDT

I am the Core. And I am not pleased.

Crap! That's my hometown

*shoots self in head*

  • 11.28.2012 5:18 PM PDT

Nahman Jayden, Eff bee eye. I herd that you're the origammy killah...

What an ass.
I hope his son turns out better than him.

  • 11.28.2012 5:19 PM PDT

Since when could you be put in jail for mocking someone?...

  • 11.28.2012 7:42 PM PDT

What an ass.

  • 11.28.2012 7:47 PM PDT

Posted by: Recon Number 54
This young lady was not consenting to her harassment by an adult. Do you see that?

You're saying that an adult has the right to harass a minor, as long as it isn't sex harassment? So sex is the illegal point, not the fact that a responsible adult is expected to leave kids alone and not make them feel threatened or in fear for their safety (which is the reason behind the menacing charge that the individual in question said "I am guilty of this crime").

I am amazed at the needle that you are trying to thread here.

If anyone, child or not, feels threatened, the one who's doing the threatening is breaking the law. If someone is simply offended or harassed, the one doing the offending is protected under the law.

Let's say an adult walks up to an 8-year old kid and talks to him:

"Hey, kid. You're a loser. You have no friends." = legal
"Hey, kid. I'm going to kill you and your family tonight." = illegal

See the distinction? Harassment laws aren't specific to children. The guy from the Dateline link you posted was threatening. The father in this situation was merely harassing.

[Edited on 11.28.2012 7:49 PM PST]

  • 11.28.2012 7:48 PM PDT

Connor Morris

Pathetic. Showing his son that teasing people with a disability is a good thing. Then saying he had bruised ribs? What a jackass. I had two broken ribs once and I didn't walk like that.

Hope he gets a longer sentence.

[Edited on 11.28.2012 7:49 PM PST]

  • 11.28.2012 7:48 PM PDT

Gamertag - Rdog 11

Call me Rdog, not RdOG or RdOG1507. I made that username when I thought it was cool to use alternating capital and lowercase letters...

It's a little weird that he goes to jail for this, but he's a jerk nonetheless. I guess I'm glad he is in jail.

  • 11.28.2012 7:52 PM PDT

Banned and proud of it.

He's an -blam!-, but he shouldn't have been jailed.

  • 11.28.2012 7:53 PM PDT