Confusion about freedom of speech><threats

[thir]

I did not know what to put this post under, but since religion is (presumably) involved, I choose here.

Maybe some here remember the thread about freedom of speech. In it, one case concerned people shouting at gay funerals, another concerned threats from pro-life groups to a pro-choice person or group. In both cases the court concluded that these things fell under freedom of speech.

Here is a new problem with threats, in which a situation where person or persons are dissatisfied with how muslim clothing is portrayed in a college project escalates to threats on phone and emails too.

I note that noone (yet, anyway) has considered this a case of freedom of speech, and that the threatened persons got protection.

I wonder what the difference was in these situations?


"What went from one parent complaining about a lesson plan he thought was too “positive” of a view of the Islamic culture has allegedly turned into a barrage of “terroristic” threats on the publisher of the material, with the company and its staff receiving multiple harassing calls and emails.

As Talking Points Memo reports, “Hal Medlin, the parent of a student at Campbell Middle School in Cobb County, Georgia, complained to the school about an assignment that he said ‘slanted positively’ toward Islam.” The lesson was supposed to help students discuss the positives and negatives of dress codes, with one fictitious letter from a Muslim woman discussing why she wears a hijab, as well as additional letters from other cultures.

The publisher, InspireEd, states that the letter in question was taken from a larger lesson plan on Middle Eastern studies, which was approved by the Department of Education, and wasn’t meant to “espouse any specific beliefs or tenets.” But that hasn’t stopped InspirEd from being the recipient of a hate mail and phone calls, as well as blog posts and websites posting what have been referred to as “terroristic threats.”

Local law enforcement is providing extra security while the threats are being investigated.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/publisher-gets-threats-over-positive-portrayal-of-islam.html#ixzz1ZREOlomw






Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/publisher-gets-threats-over-positive-portrayal-of-islam.html#ixzz1ZRDTBp49


http://www.care2.com/causes/publisher-gets-threats-over-positive-portrayal-of-islam.html

[Thorne]

Just off the top of my head, it sounds like these were specific threats of bodily harm, which are not protected as free speech. You can threaten someone with eternal damnation, since presumably you would have no real influence on such a thing (if there even IS such a thing), but you can't threaten to "take them out". Those anti-gay protesters from the WBC do NOT threaten physical violence, only spiritual condemnation. Most pro-life protesters do the same, not actually attacking or threatening their targets. Those who DO cross that line are investigated and, if needed, arrested.

[lozerette]

I don't actually see any difference in this case. No one is being arrested, they're just investigating the threats. Freedom of speech is not in danger.

[DuncanONeil]

First of all that sounds like Westborugh Baptist, and that wasn't gay funerals. It was military funerals, likely for the publicity it would bring!


I did not know what to put this post under, but since religion is (presumably) involved, I choose here.

Maybe some here remember the thread about freedom of speech. In it, one case concerned people shouting at gay funerals, another concerned threats from pro-life groups to a pro-choice person or group. In both cases the court concluded that these things fell under freedom of speech.

Here is a new problem with threats, in which a situation where person or persons are dissatisfied with how muslim clothing is portrayed in a college project escalates to threats on phone and emails too.

I note that noone (yet, anyway) has considered this a case of freedom of speech, and that the threatened persons got protection.

I wonder what the difference was in these situations?


"What went from one parent complaining about a lesson plan he thought was too “positive” of a view of the Islamic culture has allegedly turned into a barrage of “terroristic” threats on the publisher of the material, with the company and its staff receiving multiple harassing calls and emails.

As Talking Points Memo reports, “Hal Medlin, the parent of a student at Campbell Middle School in Cobb County, Georgia, complained to the school about an assignment that he said ‘slanted positively’ toward Islam.” The lesson was supposed to help students discuss the positives and negatives of dress codes, with one fictitious letter from a Muslim woman discussing why she wears a hijab, as well as additional letters from other cultures.

The publisher, InspireEd, states that the letter in question was taken from a larger lesson plan on Middle Eastern studies, which was approved by the Department of Education, and wasn’t meant to “espouse any specific beliefs or tenets.” But that hasn’t stopped InspirEd from being the recipient of a hate mail and phone calls, as well as blog posts and websites posting what have been referred to as “terroristic threats.”

Local law enforcement is providing extra security while the threats are being investigated.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/publisher-gets-threats-over-positive-portrayal-of-islam.html#ixzz1ZREOlomw






Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/publisher-gets-threats-over-positive-portrayal-of-islam.html#ixzz1ZRDTBp49


http://www.care2.com/causes/publisher-gets-threats-over-positive-portrayal-of-islam.html