Chicago Tribune – December 4, 2007:
Bloggers and free speech advocates are calling on prosecutors not to file charges against a teacher arrested for allegedly posting an anonymous comment online praising the Columbine shooters.
Some were disturbed by the post police say James Buss left on a conservative blog, but other observers said it was a sarcastic attempt to discredit critics of education spending.
Buss, a former president of the teacher’s union, allegedly wrote that teacher salaries made him sick because they are lazy and work only five hours a day. He praised the teen gunmen who killed 12 students and a teacher before committing suicide in the April 1999 attack at Columbine High School.
“They knew how to deal with the overpaid teacher union thugs. One shot at a time!” he wrote, adding they should be remembered as heroes.
“If you look at all the factors in this case, it’s pretty clear it would be a mistake to charge,” said Larry Dupuis, legal director of The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin.
Heck, even if it was not sarcasm, which it clearly was, since when it illegal to praise a murderer?
Prosecutor salaries make me sick. All they do is railroad citizens into prison and take payoffs from big corporations.
I for one hope that more teenagers buy automatic weapons and go into courtrooms to murder lawyers and judges.
That’s what a hero would do.
Cripes. We re-elect murderers.
After they disembowel them first!
damn OHFODALUV, I hope your door is steel reinforced. Hell, make it titanium
Damn! I guess now it’s illegal to have poor taste.
Just because you’re an Asshole and talk shit does not mean you should go to jail.
dude if it were illegal to glorify murderers then there are a lot of sopranos fans going to jail!
hell, throw everyone into jail! best way to keep everyone in line!
This man, James Buss, has learned an
important lesson: sarcasm, like
law enforcement, invasive surgery,
interior decorating, haute cuisine,
etc., is best left to professionals.
Yeah, I’ve been following this over at Boots and Saddles.
Buss pulled a Moby and someone took him serious. Most of the conservatives that hang out there spotted that he was a fake, but someone, no one has fessed up yet, threw a hissy fit and went to the cops. The B&S moderators gave the cops the IP address when they asked for it, then the cops went to the ISP to find out who it was.
Considering how many fake “hate speach” incidents have been uncovered lately, some suspect that Buss is the one who went to the cops. Others suspect that some other teacher did, but why would any of the small group of teachers be reading B&S?
The only tears I’m shedding are of laughter. How many of you would be defending the poster if he had actually been a conservative?
He seems to be the sort of non-threatening, well-balanced person I’d like to see associated with the teaching of children and loose on our society. (That’s more sarcasm.)
Don’t worry, throwing he guy in jail is just a bit of police sarcasm.
RBG
Some people just don’t get sarcasm.
#6
“Just because you’re an Asshole and talk shit does not mean you should go to jail.”
I agree, otherwise Howard Stern would be rotting in jail a long time ago.
#11
They’re called Christians.
Angel, the cops did not act on their own. Any wagers about who made the complaint? You want to bet it was some bible thumper that blew the whistle?
The guy should file a civil suit in Federal Court against the blog site, police and town. He shouldn’t even wait to see if the Prosecutor charges him. I read nothing where he advocated violence against anyone or identified anyone for retribution. Without a threat that would mean his free speech rights were suppressed causing him injury.
Isn’t the important point here that the comment was posted anonymously and yet “someone” went before a judge to get a subpoena to find out who this person was?
It doesn’t sound like a DA did this or the guy would be charged already. And it doesn’t sound like a school system as he wasn’t fired or put on leave.
So, it sounds like some cop being paid overtime to surf the web looking for inappropriate free speech.
I wonder what the unsolved murder rate in the jurisdiction is?
PS to my post at #15–I meant to emphasize that the subpoena got past the issuing judge. ie–system safeguards to police excess are not working. But the cops acting zealously is still a good issue. Seems like the DA’s might actually be showing some good judgment in not charging–expect that as the headline tomorrow after todays mall massacre.
I guess you just had to be there to appreciate the humor.
I mean on the Columbine floor with your brains across the window while your dad is trying to break through a police line.
RBG
Bobbo, no legal paper. The information was freely given by the people who the police asked. That was discussed over in B&S as well. I’m not sure of the protocol on initiating a case; could be an anon source called the cops and the cops brought up the blog. I don’t recall if the school board got involved, but it would be a laugh if they did.
I hope the person who made the complaint is exposed, and my money is on a school employee.
Kids have been expelled from school for less, but the kids don’t have a union to write a contract and they have zero political power.
Dick Cheney and Paul Wolfowitz are great people, and I admire what they have done.
How long before I get a shiny pair of handcuffs?
Why are you guys bitching about the prosicuter? The second paragraph of TFA reads,
“Washington County District Attorney Todd Martens said the comment left by James Buss was offensive and disgusting, but was protected speech under the state and U.S. constitutions.”
and the headline reads, “No Charges Over Online Columbine Comment”
Li, you have joined Angel in posting about your sexual proclitivities?
Deja Vu. Didn’t I just post yesterday that the teacher’s union was the cause of all our education problems? This guy shouldn’t be in jail because of what he said, he should be in jail because he is a lazy teacher and was the head of that criminal organization. Okay, so it’s sort of sarcasm but not really.
#9 The only tears I’m shedding are of laughter. How many of you would be defending the poster if he had actually been a conservative?
All of us who are liberals would be. Liberals believe in civil liberties.
#22 – Didn’t I just post yesterday that the teacher’s union was the cause of all our education problems?
I don’t know if you did, but if you did you would be demonstrating a remarkable ignorance about teachers, schools, unions, and our myriad of complex problems that face educational systems.
23 OFTLO Except when you don’t, as in the case of fundamental Christians.
RBG
#25 – I can’t speak for everyone, but not matter how idiotic the rhetoric of of some far right wingnut Xian is, I would never advocate they be silenced. On the other hand, I absolutely advocate they be engaged directly if they are trying to move public policy.
If marginalization is the result, then their idea simply didn’t stand the scrutiny in the marketplace of ideas… but their voice isn’t silenced.
Well I have to give you credit. I would have thought liberals would surely feel the need to supress any and all healthy scrutiny, debate and writings of religious issues in schools. But it is clear to me now that you really do hold dear the hallowed principles of freedom of speech far above petty dogma and politics.
RBG
#27, Mister RBG,
I would have thought liberals would surely feel the need to supress [sic] any and all healthy scrutiny, debate and writings of religious issues in schools.
There is a big difference between the discussion of ideas among adults and the teaching of religious doctrine to children under the guise of science or as part of their curriculum.
Speaking personally, I have no problem and love to read contrary positions that are well presented. Usually that includes a brief explanation for the opinion. Someone who just screams “I hateX” or “Y is stupid” annoy me. If you hate X because he wants Universal Health Care or supports the elderly evicted from their homes then at least that is a reason.
Someone who just screams “I hateX” (sic) or “Y is stupid” annoy me.
I know what you mean.
RBG
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