Proposed Legislation Would Outlaw "Cyberbullying" in US

Posted by timothy on Sunday June 8, 2008 @12:29PM from the keep-hands-and-arms-inside-the-handbasket dept.

physman_wiu writes "We all remember the recent incident of 13-year-old Megan Meier. Now legislation is set to be passed at least in Missouri (and possibly through Congress) that would make cyberbullying illegal. The new legislation (PDF) reads: 'Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person, using electronic means to support severe, repeated, and hostile behavior, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.' Now, this seems like a great piece of legislation — until I get put in jail for some kid on WOW calling the Feds on me." Eugene Volokh is not impressed.

1 of 532 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

At least she's out of the gene pool by Savior_on_a_Stick · 2008-06-09 03:53 · Score: 0, Flamebait

Her mental defects are probably as much due to bad parenting as bad genetics, but we really are better off with her not having the opportunity to reproduce.

If online bullying is the only way we have left to cull the runts, why are we trying to suppress it?