Arrested for posting pictures

elmarko · 12 Nov 2012 at 12:39

jamief said:
We've seen a huge erosion in moral values in this country in the past 100 years

You mean since women got votes, black people got votes, disabled people got care, we created a safety net for the vulnerable & a health-care system system for the poor?.

I think you will find this current society is considerably more moral than it was 100 years ago.

jamief · 12 Nov 2012 at 12:39

steve-h said:
Could you talk me through how you came to the conclusion that it's more moral to kidnap somebody than to burn a poppy please?

Sorry - who was kidnapped?

CaNsA · 12 Nov 2012 at 12:40

So if they arrest the dude who posted the burning poppy picture, shouldn't I be arrested for posting this picture as I am sure there will be a much larger group of people that will moan about it.

Morbius · 12 Nov 2012 at 12:41

Offending someone should not be a crime in itself. If the act is otherwise criminal then by all means arrest them but not solely because someone takes offence.

steve-h · 12 Nov 2012 at 12:42

jamief said:
Sorry - who was kidnapped?

It's in the OP:

A man has been arrested for posting an image of a burning poppy on a social network site.

wildman · 12 Nov 2012 at 12:44

jamief said:
I'm not advocating a totalitarian state - I'm simply saying that the correct action was taken in this case. His behaviour would be morally repugnant to the majority of people in this country, and he is in clear breach of the Communications Act 2003.

We've seen a huge erosion in moral values in this country in the past 100 years - I'm not prescribing state run moral values, but I think there should be action available to the police / CPS in cases of gross moral outrage. The guy peeing on the cenotaph, for example.

define gross moral outrage, and then define how the government can legislate against that without having the equivalent of the Stasi running around telling us what to think.

Its impossible without seeing freedoms curtailed for all. You are asking for totalitarianism but then trying to set boundaires on it.This is not possible.

aardvark · 12 Nov 2012 at 12:54

arresting people for moral outrage - slippery slope.

MrMarvelous · 12 Nov 2012 at 13:10

Is he a a Muslim?

piggeh · 12 Nov 2012 at 13:17

It could be reasonable or not depending on the entire context. If he went onto a remembrance group and posted it along with some inflammatory language then it's closer to the mark than say, someone who shares a photoshopped picture on their profile page with some poignant comment about how what we fought for in WWII is being eroded/destroyed. Regardless though, back in the day you used to be able to just block people or ban them from a site and that was that. No needs for arrests.

RDM · 12 Nov 2012 at 13:17

elmarko1234 said:
Just that left-wing ideology & fascism are not really compatible,

There is nothing that is inherent in fascism that precludes it being left wing.

manveruppd · 12 Nov 2012 at 13:21

This country's turning into a totalitarian state. The man was simply trying to make himself some heroin and made a mistake, no reason to flip out and send the cops in!

CaNsA · 12 Nov 2012 at 13:22

To quote a friend

The red poppy symbol is not without its controversy in any case. To most it symbolises remembrance. To some pacifists it represents a glorification of war.

RDM · 12 Nov 2012 at 13:22

elmarko1234 said:
I think you will find this current society is considerably more moral than it was 100 years ago.

Indeed, I would in fact struggle to think of any time where I would rather live in the UK than now. I certainly wouldn't want to turn the clock back to 1912.

As to the OP, for me it would depend on where the message was posted. If it was posted specifically to a remembrance page then it could easily be construed as being deliberately offensive and should be dealt with in the same way as someone going to a funeral and shouting offensive remarks should be dealt with.

If it was his own wall however then I would disagree that he had committed an offence.

However the law seems to be relatively consistent, if burning a copy of the Koran is enough to get you arrested so should burning a poppy be.

CaNsA · 12 Nov 2012 at 13:35

Even if he did post it on a remembrance FB page, maybe he is a pacifist and it represents a glorification of war and that the poppy offends him.

fluffmct · 12 Nov 2012 at 13:40

godinman said:
Just like America, the most liberated country in the world! Oh..wait...

Funny, oh... wait...

At least they have somewhere to work from, even if it is disregarded at times

KaiserDJG · 12 Nov 2012 at 13:42

one more step for sharia law, only a few more to the giant leap for england.

There were a group of islamic protesters the broke the silence and burnt a poppy wreath in the middle of london on rememberance sunday at 11 oclock inciting hatred and spouting filth... the police did nothing... a white man jumped the police barrier and tried to smash thier faces in ... he was arrested... i agree violance is not the answer... but claiming jihad(the violent subjection of everyone but muslims) in the middle of the street is not a peaceful protest, they were inciting hatred and trying to cause a riot.

we are slowly losing the battle due to inaction...i cannot say how we should proceed, but this is not it

RDM · 12 Nov 2012 at 14:02

CaNsA said:
Even if he did post it on a remembrance FB page, maybe he is a pacifist and it represents a glorification of war and that the poppy offends him.

That's neither here nor there really, he would have been fully aware that his post was likely to cause offense and going out of his way to do so. Generally we try to dissuade that sort of behaviour, the fact that he has done it online is pretty immaterial.

It all depends on context to be honest and without the full details of why, how and what he did then I can't really say if the police action is justified or not.

RDM · 12 Nov 2012 at 14:04

steve-h said:
Could you talk me through how you came to the conclusion that it's more moral to kidnap somebody than to burn a poppy please?

It isn't kidnapping. I know in your libertarian utopia it would be classed as kidnapping, but in the UK being arrested by the police doesn't constitute kidnapping.

Tony Williams · 12 Nov 2012 at 14:08

I think it stupid and wrong however he is expressing his opinion.

Agaist gays, blacks or even Tony Williams. He aint hurting them like harming people psyically but he is asking for trouble n upsettin' people.

Eitherway he bought the Poppy so donates a pound aye?

KaiserDJG · 12 Nov 2012 at 14:11

Tony Williams said:
Eitherway he bought the Poppy so donates a pound aye?

Yep he contributed and thats the point...

rememberance sunday is about respecting our fallen and having shame that it had to come to that point. its about the simple fact that they died because we as peaceful humans failed...