Exodus fan jailed for posting lyrics on Facebook

MetalGuy71 wrote:

8 days, huh?

When did this happen, last week? Labor Day weekend. Nothing gets done for those 3 days, so now we are down to 5. Figure a day or 2 just to interrogate and question this guy, then another day or 2 to go through the proper channels and gather any background info on the guy, get search warrants and whatnot and finally give him the "not a threat, all clear" sign.

8 days sounds like a pretty quick turn-around if you ask me. Which noone did.

The problem is the guy was arrested and held for a facebook post. Our system is not based on guilty until proven innocent - when someone is held for 8 days and THEN they are investigated during those 8 days, that is exactly what happened. If the authorities got a tip and did a proper investigation, they guy never would have been hauled down to the slammer.

The issue is not if his post was the "smart" thing to do, the issue is that now you can be presumed guilty, have your ass hauled down to jail and then the cops or feds can take all they time they want to see if you actually did anything wrong.

This has been a long-standing issue with police officers of less than honorable standing with regard to drug laws present on the books.

Numerous cases have arisen of the police pulling someone over, finding that they're carrying what is deemed an "inordinate" amount of cash on them and then confiscating the cash without charge because, clearly, it could only have been used to purchase drugs.

This is a huge systemic problem. This is a big, noisy example of it, but it's been an undercurrent for ages and, as I said before, should bother everyone. The "if you have done nothing wrong, there's nothing to worry about" argument deflates itself rather quickly.

And, as before, I'm curious to know how those 8 days behind bars impacted this guy's employment. Even if he still has his job, if he was living paycheck-to-paycheck, that pretty much means he's in the red now.

Lest we forget, this action - taken in the name of protecting children - sends a very clear message, "You're only free because we allow it and you only have rights when we feel like it." I may not be a parent, but that should chill the blood of anyone who has kids. It's no world I'd want to grow up in.

thejokeriv wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

8 days, huh?

When did this happen, last week? Labor Day weekend. Nothing gets done for those 3 days, so now we are down to 5. Figure a day or 2 just to interrogate and question this guy, then another day or 2 to go through the proper channels and gather any background info on the guy, get search warrants and whatnot and finally give him the "not a threat, all clear" sign.

8 days sounds like a pretty quick turn-around if you ask me. Which noone did.

The problem is the guy was arrested and held for a facebook post. Our system is not based on guilty until proven innocent - when someone is held for 8 days and THEN they are investigated during those 8 days, that is exactly what happened. If the authorities got a tip and did a proper investigation, they guy never would have been hauled down to the slammer.

The issue is not if his post was the "smart" thing to do, the issue is that now you can be presumed guilty, have your ass hauled down to jail and then the cops or feds can take all they time they want to see if you actually did anything wrong.

All valid points, but still not changing my opinion that I'm fine with them locking up this nitwit and leave it at that. Sorry.

chewie wrote:

This country has turned into a Nixonian Paradise!

Not true - you would have more rights in a Nixonian paradise!

(not that I would want to live under that either)

Sheesh! 8 days in jail for posting lyrics. Sorry, but stomping all over freedom of speech is not ok in my book. Welcome to the Brave New World.

I will wait to see what all the facts are in the case before I comment. Obviously we don't know the entirety of what occurred.

I really have no opinion on it. I can see it both ways. It was just harmless posting of a band's lyrics (freedom of speech and all) but I can also see the authorities checking into it with all the garbage that's been going on over the last few years. I'm sure they went overboard in checking on it but still....

This is downright insane thing.

Honestly anyone defending this bell ends rights and claiming freedom of speech heeds there heads checked!!!

If I was a US citizen and I posted on a public forum words that sounded like I could be the next high school terminator then I deserve to be locked up. Anyone who disagrees needs to understand what freedom of speech really means. Its a privilege not a right and everyone on this planet should be held accountable for the words that come out of their mouths.

This reminds me of that guy who made jokes about shooting people on Xbox Live last year(at least I think it was on Live) and got in trouble, just because you CAN say something doesn't necessarily always mean that you SHOULD, there are times when maybe just maybe it's a better idea to keep your mouth shut(just because you think it would be hilarious to yell BOMB! on an airplane doesn't mean other people will see it as funny)

People weren't mining for this, it got reported by people who aren't familiar with Exodus and thought it was an ominous message, if I didn't know Exodus, I would thought the same thing when viewing that post, i'm personally WAY more anxious about getting attacked by some random nutjob then I am about what the government does with data. I'm not paranoid at all about being spied on by the NSA or FBI just for posing lyrics

As for the Patriot Act, it likely would not have passed had 9/11 not happened, but because it did people were so afraid of something like that happening again that they were willing to do anything to feel safe, so I can't really blame people for voting for it in the heat of the moment even though I don't agree with it.

There still is free speech, you just sometimes have to be careful how you exercise it(I.E. don't shout racial epithets in urban areas if you value your well-being).

The guy was stupid to post something that appeared to be a troubled persons rant (after all the shootings since Columbine). But why was he kept for 8 days? After he mentioned it was lyrics from a song, it should have cleared his name.

Believe me, I'm in full support of wronged Kentucky metalheads, but I don't really see the point in posting metal lyrics on Facebook like some sort of angsty 12 year old. I mean, surely there's a better way to express yourself artistically.

Secondly, f*** Facebook.

Wayne wrote:

Honestly anyone defending this bell ends rights and claiming freedom of speech heeds there heads checked!!!

If I was a US citizen and I posted on a public forum words that sounded like I could be the next high school terminator then I deserve to be locked up. Anyone who disagrees needs to understand what freedom of speech really means. Its a privilege not a right and everyone on this planet should be held accountable for the words that come out of their mouths.

Better go arrest Exodus then. Or, better yet, Iron Maiden.

Interestingly enough this came about at the same time on of our schools was getting rumors of a mass shooting, and soon after a bomb threat. Cops were everywhere and three kids were arrested for related taggings and suspicious Facebook posts.

corplhicks wrote:

Interestingly enough this came about at the same time on of our schools was getting rumors of a mass shooting, and soon after a bomb threat. Cops were everywhere and three kids were arrested for related taggings and suspicious Facebook posts.

Yeah, I think this came down to REALLY bad timing moreso then anything else(The guy who made those jokes about shooting people did so only about a month after Sandy Hook, so he really shouldn't have been one bit surprised that he got in trouble over it).

UNCLE SAXON'S KICKASS CDS wrote:

Wayne wrote:

Honestly anyone defending this bell ends rights and claiming freedom of speech heeds there heads checked!!!

If I was a US citizen and I posted on a public forum words that sounded like I could be the next high school terminator then I deserve to be locked up. Anyone who disagrees needs to understand what freedom of speech really means. Its a privilege not a right and everyone on this planet should be held accountable for the words that come out of their mouths.

Better go arrest Exodus then.  Or, better yet, Iron Maiden.

Yeah ok lets arrest iron maiden, they write lyrics about shooting up a high school.

Named-calling. Nice.

UNCLE SAXON'S KICKASS CDS wrote:

Wayne wrote:

Honestly anyone defending this bell ends rights and claiming freedom of speech heeds there heads checked!!!

If I was a US citizen and I posted on a public forum words that sounded like I could be the next high school terminator then I deserve to be locked up. Anyone who disagrees needs to understand what freedom of speech really means. Its a privilege not a right and everyone on this planet should be held accountable for the words that come out of their mouths.

Better go arrest Exodus then.  Or, better yet, Iron Maiden.

Or even better yet, go arrest X-oh-duss, those dudes are sick animals that need to be locked away..

Wayne wrote:

Honestly anyone defending this bell ends rights and claiming freedom of speech heeds there heads checked!!!

If I was a US citizen and I posted on a public forum words that sounded like I could be the next high school terminator then I deserve to be locked up. Anyone who disagrees needs to understand what freedom of speech really means. Its a privilege not a right and everyone on this planet should be held accountable for the words that come out of their mouths.

I couldn't agree less with this. I don't really defend this guy's actions as the words that he posted could quite easily be interpreted as threatening by anyone who didn't recognise it as a lyric (which would be 99.9% of people) and a 31 year old grown man spouting this crap is frankly creepy, the cops were right to speak to him, there is however a massive difference between speaking to him and detaining him for days on end (presumably without charge)

But freedom of speech is NOT a privilege, privileges can be taken away at any time and that cannot happen in a free society as you get into the 'opinions that don't conform are criminal' territory. Freedom of speech (however objectionable) as a fundamental right, has to be the cornerstone of any free society. As for being 'accountable for the words that come out of your mouth' accountable to who? Who decides what is okay to come out of your mouth and which of your views are 'criminal'?

Facebook is for attention whores. Sometimes that attention is going to be negative. Price you pay for popularity.

mc666 wrote:

Facebook is for attention whores. Sometimes that attention is going to be negative. Price you pay for popularity.

Well I disagree with that notion, i'm on FB and certainly not an "attention whore", same with my family and friends.

I'd your freedom of speech approaches criminal territory if you're talking about things like killing blacks, jews, latinos, gays, etc. I'd definitely want to keep tabs on anyone who spouts crap like that.

Vexer6 wrote:

your freedom of speech approaches criminal territory if you're talking about things like killing blacks, jews, latinos, gays, etc.  I'd definitely want to keep tabs on anyone who spouts crap like that.

That's what FBI files are for - not local nazi cops locking up someone for typing [or copying/pasting].

mc666 wrote:

Facebook is for attention whores. Sometimes that attention is going to be negative. Price you pay for popularity.

Best post of this entire thread!

People wanna put their entire life on the web for all to see,so there ya go buddy.

thejokeriv wrote:

chewie wrote:

This country has turned into a Nixonian Paradise!

Not true - you would have more rights in a Nixonian paradise!

(not that I would want to live under that either)

that sounds like a Weird Al song... oh wait...


What i find amusing is this guy gets carted off to jail but bands out there who write and record stuff similar to this dont suffer the same fate. Maybe this is not too far off.

exact33 wrote:

thejokeriv wrote:

chewie wrote:

This country has turned into a Nixonian Paradise!

Not true - you would have more rights in a Nixonian paradise!

(not that I would want to live under that either)

that sounds like a Weird Al song... oh wait...


What i find amusing is this guy gets carted off to jail but bands out there who write and record stuff similar to this dont suffer the same fate. Maybe this is not too far off.

Because they don't randomly post lyrics on Facebook at around the same time a school gets a bomb threat?