Rep. Vic Williams has baked his brain a bit too much in the Tucson, AZ, sun …
Free-speech advocates and social media users say an anti-stalking proposal in Arizona goes too far by criminalizing “annoying” or “offensive” comments posted online.
A bi-partisan bill seeking to update telephone harassment and stalking laws by adding the use of computers or smartphones to existing legislation has gone virtually unchallenged in the Legislature and could soon land on Gov. Jan Brewer’s desk.
But critics have fixated on a section that makes it illegal to “annoy or offend” someone online — meaning comments on Facebook or Twitter could result in criminal charges.
Media Coalition, a New York-based First Amendment advocacy group, argues the bill is unconstitutionally broad and infringes on freedom of speech protections. The group has asked Brewer to veto the measure.
“Speaking to annoy or offend is not a crime,” Media Coalition Executive Director David Horowitz said. […]
Rep. Vic Williams, a Republican from Tucson who helped sponsor the bill, said he welcomes groups like Media Coalition to weigh in but deflected claims from those he called “crackpots and conspiracy theorists” who he says have associated the bill with Orwellian images of authoritarian governments seeking to crack down of freedom of expression.
“Hopefully, we can eliminate the dialogue of the extremists in this conversation, find mainstream consensus where we protect people’s privacy, protect people from harassment — but without quashing, quelling or impeding upon appropriate free speech,” Williams said.
Williams said this bill is about helping victims.
I want to throw up.
(h/t jdw via twitter)
I know a place where Vic would fit right in. I’ll bet we could raise his airfare right here.
BTW, Vic? Fuck you, pal. Your mother’s a whore and your Daddy sucks dicks for beer.
Right to not be offended? Fuck off. I hope that offends someone.
Hell yeah Republicans can be stupid. PIPA was heavily backed by Lamar Alexander who is ALMOST my congressman. (Bleah, I got stuck with Loyd Doggett). And that was one screwed up piece of legislation.
His first name is Vic and I’ll bet his middle name is Tim. He probably spent most of his middle school years wriggling his out of trash cans or learning to like the “swirly” hairstyle.
Too? Ha.
Oh sweet Jesus, give me strength.
Certain issues get people to turn their liberty switch off “for the common good” and accept a burdensome yoke or crazy penalties. And the zero tolerance thing gets way the hell out of hand. An old butter-knife lying on the floorboard in the back seat of a car for scraping off muddy shoes is not a deadly weapon. A picture of a gun is NOT a gun or a sign of a dangerous mental illness.
Fuck Vic
“appropriate speech” is a phrase that comes out of your mom’s mouth as she whacks you across the back of the head for calling your sister a ‘fucking asshole’ at the Thanksgiving dinner table
It is NOT something to be found in statute and enforced by police officers.
The idea that some person can go to the police and have someone arrested and convicted based on an accusation for which there can be no refutation, since its “truth” is inside the mind of the accuser has echos of an older system.
appropriate Free Speech.
Yes, yes. That will look spectacular spray-painted on The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
“Republican?”
Jesus wept.
People who claim to be Republicans can be fascists, too.
Those kind of R’s are usually in New England. You know, where our newest wannabe Fearless Leader is from.
“I want to throw up.”
No need to worry, I’m sure Holder and the DOJ will be securing a court order blocking enforcement.
Afterall, the feds have jurisdiction in all matters of injustice.
Can’t have some Southwestern third world border State encroaching the Obamanopoly, can we?
New England?
Pfftt.
Reading the excellent (but depressing) posts around here today, it would appear we are about one female pubic hair away from “Old England”.
You know, if it was run by Mao.
What?
Chaucer & Shakespeare would have actually said “the word.”
Did I offend you Vic?
He hasn’t shown up at my door yet. I must not have tried hard enough. Maybe I need to say something about his mother — but what could I say about her that was untrue and yet worse than the truth?
Well at least he isn’t mucking around with our freedoms in the name of
National Security
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can get me 5-10 in state prison.
Republicans still have a long way to go if they want to seriously challenge Progressive Idiocy. These guys have made it an art form.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/74779.html
Jennifer Granholm is the former governor of Michigan. She is now host of “The War Room” on Current TV. She is also a visiting public policy and law professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
That is a perfect storm of stupid.
Rep. Vic Williams is a mossy old frog who croaks bilious twaddle from his lilypad.
Rep. Vic Williams is perfectly fine with using the force of a totalitarian government to make his version of proper decorum the only one permitted to exist.
Rep. Vic Williams is a crapweasel of a worse sort than most, and I mean this in the most offensive possible way, personally, to Rep. Vic Williams.
Seems like some people need to watch those tapes Ezra Levant made of his hearing before the Alberta Human Rights Commission
Darleen, you’ve been plagarized?
He’s trying to be a suck-up over this latest round of ‘bully hysteria”. That movie, “Bully” coming out has really fired up the speech totalitarians.
My parents solution to bullys was to enroll me is Karate and Judo. “If they put a hand on you, we’ll back you up if you get in trouble with the school over defending yourself” they told me.
As far as I’m concerned anybody that puts their hands on anybody else in a hostile manner deserves a bloody nose and a fat lip. Or whatever else happens to you. Keep your hands to yourself.
If you’re against anti-bullying laws it’s because you h8t gays.
Or so I’m told on my facebook page.
Folks, that’s Rep. Vic Williams
vwilliams@azleg.gov
Geoff, lettres de cachet was actually an improvement over the old, old way of getting rid of inconvenient neighbors, relatives etc. An accusation of witchcraft, followed by a community bonfire.
was/were
who can keep French singular/plural straight anyways?
Ses all over the place!
We could end most of this penny-ante bullying, stalking and other forms of harrassment if we bring back dueling.
If we were really ambitious we could sanction the use of “champions,” professional duelers hired to act on our behalf.
Jeff could get back to earning an honest living! [grin]
If you’re against anti-bullying laws it’s because you h8t gays.
Or so I’m told on my facebook page.
Because what happened in California after Prop 8 was not bullying.
eliminate the dialogue of the extremists
Eliminate the dialogue? The irony, it MORE than burns.
Well yeah, they don’t call them the Stupid Party for nothing. I’d love to read Mark Steyn’s take on this.
But I’m sure Rep. Vic Williams would fight to the death to protect your First Amendment right to innocuous, inoffensive speech!