Texas Teen Arrested Under New Online Harassment Law

SpaceGhost sends in a story from San Antonio, TX: "Police have arrested a 16-year-old girl on charges of harassment under a new Texas law that took effect September 1, 2009. H.B. 2003 says a person commits a third degree felony if the person posts one or more messages on a social networking site with the intent to harm, defraud, intimidate or threaten another person. Police say the harassment went on for a few months and involved a dispute over a boy. ... Some people expect legal challenges to the constitutionality of the new Internet law.' The law is evidently a response to the Lori Drew case.

Comments

Re:Your Honor!

[furby076]

I didn't fight often, but that was because I learned very quickly that my actions had consequences. I learned that it can sometimes hurt as much to punch someone as to get punched. I also learned that to avoid a physical confrontation, I needed to work on my diplomacy and many times my over-all prick-titude.

There is something to be said about the whole "yea he beat you, but really you asked for it". Society becomes a lot more polite when they realize a slug to the face won't land the hitter in jail. Now a days the winners are those who can subtely harass people - you know the people - those who can manipulate the words to antagonize someone but only the victim see's it and it is intended so only the victim see's it. Back in the day - the victim could say "Yea you may be smarter then me with words, but you know what" Story over. Now-a-days the verbal harasser laughs the entire way - and if he gets hit, he goes and cries to the cops and the lawyers.

I am not advocating gun-violence, knifing, or rodney king style beatings - but a wise-ass getting slugged in the face will prevent said wise-ass from talking shit again. I think it may also reduce some gun-violence - ever hear the stories of how a person mouthed off to the wrong person and then got shot? That is probably because the guy who likes to talk crap has a sense of security that he can run his mouth off and not suffer consequences....then he encounters the person who doesn't give a crap about life or law and owns a gun. When people have a healthy respect (and fear) about consequences to their actions then they are a bit more likely to control themselves.