• @[email protected]
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    -1511 months ago

    If protesters burned an effigy of Trump or Bush, none of us would bat a fucking eye.

    But no matter what we think, this is protected speech.

    • TechyDad
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      911 months ago

      It’s protected speech up to a point. Then it becomes an actual threat. The gallows in front of Congress as the insurrectionists violently broke into the Capitol chanting “hang Mike Pence” wasn’t protected speech.

      Calling for the execution of your political foes crosses a line, especially when you know that there’s a large element of your base willing to take your “protected speech” and turn it into action. That and the repeated calls from the right for violence (see Nick Fuentes calling for the execution of all Jews and enemies of Trump) elevate this beyond protected speech IMO.

        • TechyDad
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          811 months ago

          The guy who hung these ornaments was one of the January 6th insurrectionists. He’s shown that he’s willing to engage in violence and so it’s not “just a Christmas tree.”

          He’s since deleted his post and posted that it wasn’t a call for violence. Given that he included President Biden and VP Harris in his “noose ornaments,” he probably got a visit from the Secret Service. They don’t tend to view these things as “just harmless pranks” or “just some odd Christmas ornaments.” Especially when there are clearly people (this person included) willing to take the speech and try to make it a reality.

          • FuglyDuck
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            211 months ago

            he also posted photos of it on the internet. intentionally. Remove the tree. The tree itself is largely irrelevant. he posted pictures of people being hung in effigy. it’s as simple as that.

          • @[email protected]
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            -611 months ago

            It’s a fucking ornament. You’re allowed to want people executed and you’re allowed to express it in many indirect ways. You can try to paint it as incitement all you want, but passive bullshit like ornaments are fine.

            • TheDankHold
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              11 months ago

              What is so hard to understand, they advertised their desire for political murder to their constituents. It wasn’t “just an ornament” in private. They made a public statement by displaying it.

              Why do republican sycophants insist on removing all context from this stuff? Bending over backwards to present it in a favorable way is so slimy and manipulative.

              • @[email protected]
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                -311 months ago

                I’m not a republican I just have principles. I know it’s hard to see the difference when you can rationalize calling a christmas ornament a terroristic threat.

                Politicians are trash and they all deserve a fucking noose. Every protest should have a gallows and a guillotine. And you’d be fine with that if they were ‘your’ people. Partisan fucking hack lemmy leftists can fuck off.

                • FuglyDuck
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                  511 months ago

                  I just have principles

                  then according to my principles, yours are absolute shit. It wasn’t a private display in his home. it was posted to social media for the entire world to see. A post that included people being hung in effigy. And is 100% a threat. particularly considering this guy was at jan 6 and is most definitely not a peaceful anything.

                  you’re defending a terrorist.

                  • @[email protected]
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                    111 months ago

                    Why would it matter if it was a private display? People are allowed to have and express their opinions, even if they’re shitty opinions.

                    Legally there are boundaries on speech as well, that ornaments don’t cross.

                    I’m not defending him I’m defending his right to have opinions. He’s a worthless, abhorrent piece of shit.

                • TheDankHold
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                  11 months ago

                  Since you missed it I’ll repeat myself.

                  “What is so hard to understand, they advertised their desire for political murder to their constituents. It wasn’t “just an ornament” in private. They made a public statement advocating murder by displaying it.”

                  Words are wind, your actions show you bending over backwards to excuse this. Also the narrative that all politicians deserve a noose is what authoritarians push to keep their citizens from trying to fix things. There’s tons of money in reinforcing political apathy, because any person they convince to abandon the process is one less voice they have to care about come election season.

                  It’s a very terminally online take hyper focused on federal government. You think your local comptroller should be strung up? The irony of you calling me a political hack when your political philosophy is devoid of any nuance.

                  • @[email protected]
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                    011 months ago

                    Yeah, no, sorry. Unless homie said “hey if I do this thing I mean this other thing” and it’s insanely direct, I’m not buying your shit. They happen to be freedoms I choose to use as well.

                    You obviously knew what I meant you’re just so focused on rationalizing your bullshit you can’t manage a conversation in good faith.

              • @[email protected]
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                011 months ago

                After the revolution message me and I’ll let you command the firing squad yourself.

                If we’re heading toward less civil liberties and limits on political speech, then I’m fine with that.

    • FuglyDuck
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      311 months ago

      yes i would. Fucking hell. speech has meaning. And hanging people in effigy is easily considered a threat; particularly when you look at the history of lynch mobs. Are people allowed to say “I’m going to come for you and your family and hang you?” absolutely. But that protection doesn’t mean the government can’t lock your ass up for making terroristic threats.

      • @[email protected]
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        -711 months ago

        “I’m going to come for you and your family and hang you?”

        Bahaha. Are you equating a direct, verbal, actionable threat with a fucking Christmas tree ornament?