Do You Thinking Bashing the President Should be a Crime?

[Jim]

I want to emphasize I don't mean criticizing, I mean baseless bashing of the President.

If you have legitimate reasons to criticize the President you may do so, but to say things like "get the N'word out of the White House!" on your Twitter, should that be an offense?

[dstr]

No, and it matters not whether it is informed or uninformed "bashing" free speech is constitutionally protected.

[AverageJoe]

Baraq is a strange little man.

The only thing he is qualified for is serving poolside umbrella drinks to middle-aged women on a cruise ship.

[Sadcat]

"Bashing" is too vague a term to withstand First Amendment scrutiny. If you threaten the President with violence, that's a crime already. But "bashing"?

[Me Ne Frego]

Hell yes! It makes perfect sense to dedicate resources to such a grave offense and to stop dicking around with actual crimes.


Let's go with your plan.

[Pakbwl42]

Nope, freedom requires allowing others to be free. You are free to ignore them.

[Lee]

Hell no.Y/A would have to shut down if we did.

[Ivan]

Freedom of speech, same as that little thing about the certain movie on youtube.

[john]

No, if you allow others to determine what is baseless or offensive you are effectively giving up your right to free speech.

You may think things like "get the N'word out of the White House!" is offensive and should be a crime, ok lets say you get what you want and it becomes a crime.

Then the next president is an old white guy and you say "get that Ol' whitey bastard out of the White House!" and the currently party in power says, "hey that's offensive" and it becomes a crime.

OR what if the next president is pro-life christian and someone says "hey get that women hating christian douche who doesn't think a women has the right to choose, out of the White House!" and the current people in power say "hey that is offensive" and now that's a crime.

Where does this stop? Does the person or party in power always have the right to decide what is or isn't offensive? Who decides what is a legitimate criticism? If you criticize the president, do you want to sit before a judge or a panel of people who disagree with you and let them decide whether or not you have committed a crime?

Don't let your momentary, emotional, personal feelings make you do something stupid like give up your rights, you might not agree with the next person in power.

When you give ANYONE, any party, any movement the power to make subjective determinations about the public's right to free speech it will come back to bite you.

[Mike w]

No. Bashing the President or anyone else is impolite, but it shouldn't be a crime.