(July 11, 2012 at 12:51 pm)Moros Synackaon Wrote:(July 10, 2012 at 6:37 pm)Brian37 Wrote: There is a HUGE difference between being offensive and making physical threats.
Not really.
"I'm gonna kill you" said in a rage != 'I'm gonna kill you" said seriously.
Given the above, it appears that what is strictly said is equivalent. However, the method of which it is presented differs.
Even then, you cannot judge someone just because they made a threat, any more than "God exists because I say so!" has any credible evidence inlined within itself. There has to be more than that, usually in the forms of actions taken or a history of acting upon said threats (Pseudo-anonymous twitter posters aren't known for presenting a threat).
Else you're just, as usual, dictating what people can do.
And in that particular edge case, have yourself a nice steaming cup of "Go fuck yourself."
TL;DR - you need more than a simple epithet to decide that ones life is actually at threat.
While it is true, for example, when I was a kid my mom at one point may have said "I am going to kill you" and I know she didn't mean it.
BUT that fine line is worse because you are not dealing with people you know personally. That girl who got the prayer banner removed from the high school got physical threats and death threats. You cannot honestly say that even if some of them are merely venting, that there could not be some who did it meant it.
You have to take that shit seriously, no matter who does it, or at least, ask for a clarification.
For example only. I have seen the challenge from atheists about how absurd claims of the after life are. FOR EXAMPLE ONLY
I've said myself, "Well, if you believe that, take a shotgun, blow your own head off, and come back and tell me if there really is an after life." I HAVE DONE THAT.
But I also follow it up with the following, "I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND IT". In order to show the absurdity of their claim.
When framed like that there is no mistake that the person reading it could make as a literal threat.
So if someone is going to even merely vent about wanting, if merely in venting, to "strangle" someone, then when taking that risk, you better damned well make that clear. WHOMEVER is doing it, because if you don't make yourself clear, when you don't really mean it, you can get yourself into some REAL potential trouble. And that advice isn't for atheists, that is for anyone who is just merely bitching.
People DO make real threats and DO really mean it sometimes. So how do you tell when it is someone you don't know?
There are laws against even making physical threats even if you don't act on that threat, when the cops show up, they aren't concerned, when they don't know you personally, if you try to cop out to "I didn't mean it".
It is the risk you take when even merely venting. How someone takes it even if you didn't mean it, can mean jail time for you. It is true even in mere work place or schools, or on your own street.
I simply would not recommend anyone, no matter their label, do that unless they make it blatantly clear and so obvious that it cannot be misunderstood.
Even outside this issue, how many people here would even risk joking with violence in an airport today, EVEN IF, they did not mean it. I personally would say it would be really stupid.
