[willvarfar]

Actually, if you saw that posted, would you not consider whether to tell the police?

The proper thing to do - as said in the article - is for the police to investigate if he was serious. And you or I would - depending on lots of context on whether we thought it a remotely credible threat I guess - report it for them to investigate?

The problem seems to be on the police end, not the concerned citizen (of another country) end.

[dizzystar]

>> Actually, if you saw that posted, would you not consider whether to tell the police?

No. Not at all. Have you not read what is commonly spouted on the internet? You have to be 100% illiterate to not understand that this was tasteless sarcasm.

This doesn't mean I think it is funny or that I agree with it, but calling the police over a joke is pointless and irresponsible.

[thret]

I've seen worse, heard worse, said worse, and am ashamed for you. Nothing anyone says on an online game should be taken seriously.

[cdash]

No, I would not consider it for one moment.

[cgag]

How could you think that's a remotely credible threat?

[kristopolous]

No. I may respond with "lol". That's it.

[xauronx]

I definitely would. I'm not sure what the rest of these people are talking about. If some angst-ridden teenager is posting something like that on facebook, they probably need to speak with a psychologist/councilor. In today's America, you can't take that shit lightly.

However, this is like putting out a candle with a fire hose.

[kristopolous]

Have you ever been to 4chan? Just scroll through: http://boards.4chan.org/b/ ... things like this can be considered the norm depending on what sites you go to.

[xauronx]

That's just the thing though. Context matters a lot. Are you so excited to have something to be outraged about that you don't think about this? I mean, if I yell "I'm going to rape you" in a video game that's the equivalent of "Good game buddy", and quite innocent. I wouldn't however yell that in a public arcade at a 12 year old.

The inability to discern the difference hints at mental issues that need to be discussed with someone, even a parent would do.

[joesb]

And, in this context, he was replying to his friend with whom he played video games with on a facebook page, and adding "lol" and "jk" to the joke. Do you consider that equivalent of an adult yelling "I'm going to rape you" to a 12 yo in a public arcade?

To me, it looks like the inability to discern the differences is not with Justin.

[xauronx]

I guess everything I've read about it was inaccurate then. I had read that it was just a facebook post, like a post to his own wall. To me, it's still a fucking retarded thing to say in a public forum. Free speech is great, but your words still have consequences. Again, I don't think he should have been essentially abducted with no trial or bail.

However, I do believe that if you say "I'm going to murder children" in a public forum in a country where that exact thing happened on a disgusting level recently... you should get some counseling.

[phaus]

Yet, kids do scream such things in public at one another. Constantly.

[Volpe]

So it's only if an american says this that you'd report it?

[Confusion]

We have provided people with easy ways to voice their thoughts and we are now confronted with what everyone should already have known: that people have a lot of 'bad' thoughts.

Every teen has at one occasion thought: I feel like killing [everyone in school, my team, my so-called friends, my brother, my ...]. Writing such a thought down gives it extra power and a screen doesn't confront you with a person and make it easy to misjudge whether you can press 'send'.

Monitoring that speech and acting on it, directly by the government or indirectly via 'concerned citizens': that way lies police state insanity.

So the answer is emphatically, decisively: no. You should not want to report this.

[adventured]

Wander around most any part of Reddit for 5 minutes, and you'll see things that are far worse said in twisted jest. And that's a mainstream site.

By these standards, you'd have to arrest every teenager in America eventually. That isn't an exaggeration.