Joe. My. God. Blogger Receives Death Threats for FRC Tweets

I wonder if a picture of either a noose hanging from a tree or a burning cross, sent to an African American would be treated differently.

They shouldn’t. Frankly removing threats like that only serve to hide the problem. If it is in fact a “real” threat, then the danger does not go away just by removing it from a public site. And if it’s not a real threat then I think it’s good for everyone to see the character of those that support these groups.

 Because it’s not explicit.

I agree that it’s very easy to read as threatening, and it was definitely intended to be threatening, but “celebrate your lifestyle with cranes” isn’t necessarily enough without them saying what they intend to do with the cranes.  The picture seems like it should render this a cut-and-dried matter, but Twitter’s lawyers were probably looking for a linking phrase such as “celebrate your lifestyle with cranes, LIKE THIS:” to join the two together before they’d consider it threatening.

As it is, it’s a statement about cranes and a picture of an effigy (is that supposed to be Obama?) hanging from a crane.  They could easily say “we googled for pictures of cranes and this one came up.”  You know it’s bullshit, I know it’s bullshit, they know it’s bullshit, but the question is as to whether it’d pass for bullshit in court, were FRC to make a free-speech lawsuit out of it.

I agree that FRC’s post was totally uncalled-for and inappropriate, but I also see how Twitter’s legal team would want to avoid unnecessary litigation by waiting for a sure thing before pulling down any content.

As The Captain said, though, it’s fine – it shows what kind of people side with FRC and what character they possess.  The only ones they’re hanging are themselves.

After looking at it again, I may have read the statement wrong. If that’s the case, my apologies.

So people rightfully angry about attempted murder respond with death threats to a person who had nothing to do with the shooting, and in fact condemned it? 

Stay classy bigots, stay classy.

The “he” in that sentence refers to Joe again, but thanks for the catch – I could have phrased it better! 

No prob!! =)  Hope all is good with you.

Then you’re admitting what he said was that.  That’s why I put that in, because I wanted to see if anyone saw it that way.  Thanks for pointing out the obvious – that our good fellow who in no way should be receiving death threats, was obviously tossing out some pretty obvious ‘here’s why they had it coming.’  And no, he doesn’t have it coming, and normally I wouldn’t have said otherwise or would have left it at simple condemnation for those making such threats.  I simply wanted to prove my point by hoping someone would jump in and say what you said. 

…It seems like you’re pulling more out of his response than was in it.  If you proved a point, you’re the only one that can see it.  You can make points without making things up or attempting to set up traps.

“what he said was that” What? I don’t think I admitted to what ever it is admitted to. I didn’t did I? (See what I did there) 
I was making fun your statement:

But I’m not too sympathetic with people who rush out after such shootings to say ‘I condemn the shooting’ followed by not too thinly veiled statements that suggest ‘but here’s why they had it coming.’

Since Joe had never said anything like  ‘FRC had it coming’. (Proper nouns are helpful.) All he did was point out FRC’s history of bigotry. Even if you believe it was an inappropriate time to discuss the FRC’s anti-gay advocacy, it nowhere near the same thing as claiming they deserved the shooting.

Anyway good luck with your gotchya journalism you’re a regular Katie Couric.

Typical Christians. 

come and try that shit in my yard …