More bad press for aspies

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Joined: 24 Oct 2010
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15 Sep 2011, 7:30 am

People should not be put in jail for merely being offensive.

"Offensive" is socially subjective. Making something illegal because it is offensive opens the door to banning anything, all you have to do is convince the public to feel offended.

This guys a jerk, but England is heading on a slippery slope to tyranny by jailing him.

Australien
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15 Sep 2011, 8:20 am

If he's actively pursuing them with these offensive messages, I have no problem with him being convicted of harassment. But should that warrant a jail sentence? Consider the many, more serious offences he can commit without being jailed. Consider any benefit to society, short term and long term, in jailing him. Why couldn't they give him a fine, community service, and counselling?

As for it being bad press for aspies, I can't see any link being made between his conduct and AS by the article (which is surprising, but pleasing). His lawyer mentioned it in court, and the journalist reported it, that's all. Besides, if we are prepared to claim many of the intellectual rockstars (many of whom were dead before Asperger's paper, let alone its modern rediscovery), we should be prepared to accept that some Aspies will do bad things, whether that behaviour is influenced by AS or not.

Sparhawke
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15 Sep 2011, 8:20 am

Todesking wrote:

The guy who use to give me rides to my Dungeons and Dragons group was convicted of having child porn and concealing hidden cameras in the bathroom of the computer store he worked at he blamed his perversion on his High Functioning Autism. He went to college, drove, lived on his own, and had a good paying job. His autism had no obvious effect on his life. Having met him I would say he was very lightly effected by his his autism if at all. But you can guess what his lawyer blamed his having child porn on his computer on? His lawyer tried to make it sound like he had no self control due to his HFA. :roll:

I have since cut off all ties with this guy but I have heard he goes to all the autism meet-ups in the Buffalo area where he whines about not being able to use a computer due to his "addiction".

Surfman wrote:

paparazzi just managed to photograph him this week, dont look too AS to me....

Since when did Asperger's Syndrome have a "look"? Down turned head while looking up that's how I walk down the street. If anything he stole my look. :lol:

I don;t know if any of you remember this case of the bi-polar guy smuggling kilos of drugs through some far east country a couple of years back and all the court case surrounding it.

His lawyers decided to say he had bi-polar though no evidence of such was ever proven befre his flight.

He got executed and quite frankly, I am not unhappy about that.

He lied about having bi-polar to get away with it and it backfired on him.

Maybe less people will use the insanity plea if the courts simply decide then that there is no point in having them around if they cannot control their urges.

Having an unfortunate attraction to something is one thing, actually following through with it is quite another, and there is no excuse in the world for it and these lawyers who are jumping on the autism bandwagon should be struck off for gross stupidity.

DerStadtschutz
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15 Sep 2011, 8:46 am

ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:

hurtloam wrote:

DerStadtschutz wrote:

Am I the only one who remembers when the supreme court ruled that the westboro baptist lunatics were protected by freedom of speech to say whatever they wanted at military funerals? How the hell is this any different? I'm not saying that what either Duffy or the "god hates fags" people did is right, but I am saying there needs to be consistency, or what's the point of even having a law or a bill of right in the first damn place?

The difference is that Duffy was sentenced in Britain. He probably wouldn't have been to court in the US. There is a consistency. Britain wouldn't allow members of the Wesboro Babptist Church to enter the country.

The difference is, the Westboro people believe they will bring this country back to God. They believe in their twisted way they are doing the country a favor by protesting at these funerals.

The 25 yr old Duff sounds like he just wants to upset the families of the victims. He has no political agenda.

Well just because they think they're doing good doesn't change the fact that they aren't, that there is no god, or that they're f****d up in the head, so that's irrelevant. I'm pretty sure Hitler thought he was doing the world a favor too, but that doesn't make what he did right, and it doesn't excuse what he did either.

So are you suggesting that as long as there's political agenda, it's okay??? Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what it sounds like, and I just can't agree with that.

DerStadtschutz
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15 Sep 2011, 8:52 am

anneurysm wrote:

The press are just adding that he has AS to sensationalize the story more. It was unnecessary though, since there are so many articles like this popping up lately where they just carelessly mention it like this without thinking about how these instances can collectively create an unfavourable portrayal of people with AS.

I think that if anything, it highlights the dire need for services for adults on the spectrum. If he was working or going to school, maybe he wouldn't be living such a "miserable existence". For many of these things to be accomplished, though, therein comes the need for appropraite supports. The press should focus less on sensationalistic pieces of tripe like this and more on the actual - and preventable - issues that led to this guy being arrested in the first place.

I completely agree with this, but the problem is, the kind of things you want them to report aren't the things that will get them as many sales. The more outrageous crap they can print and report, the more interested people will be to find out what crazy s**t's going on this week. It also helps sales if they blow everything out of proportion too... That's why they do that BS. And what's sad about it is nobody ever bothers to use their brain and realize that it's a buncha crap.

DerStadtschutz
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15 Sep 2011, 8:59 am

DGuru wrote:

This is exactly how I feel about it. In a lot of cases of people becoming offended, they become so because they're either just way too sensitive, or they're stupid and draw conclusions that aren't even there in the first place to make themselves offended. There has to be a line drawn somewhere, or like you said, we won't ever be able to say a damn thing because someone might become "offended." And the really stupid thing about the way the law works is that in cases where people got offended and/or felt "harassed," it doesn't matter if it was taken the wrong way because whether or not someone's at fault is determined by how the offendee took the comment, not what was actually meant by it from the offender... So yeah, it is leading to a really slippery slope. WHERE DOES IT END?

Pete255
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15 Sep 2011, 9:21 am

DerStadtschutz wrote:

it is leading to a really slippery slope. WHERE DOES IT END?

He was convicted under the Malicious Communications Act 1988.
That means this act has been part of the law in the UK for 23 years!

Nobody I know has even heard of this law before.
I'm glad the authorities only use it in rare cases such as this one.

The_Walrus
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15 Sep 2011, 9:38 am

DGuru wrote:

Slippery slopes are logical fallacies. Jailing someone who repeatedly taunts the families of dead people is not the start of a slippery slope towards restrictions being placed on our ability to crticise government, for example.

nemorosa
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15 Sep 2011, 11:10 am

Australien wrote:

As for it being bad press for aspies, I can't see any link being made between his conduct and AS by the article (which is surprising, but pleasing). His lawyer mentioned it in court, and the journalist reported it, that's all.

Aren't you worried that perhaps the general public will begin to associate AS with the more undesirable elements in our society? Perhaps you are not aware of the recent quantity of stories of a similar vein where it has been reported that the perpetrator has AS. Bear in mind that in reading these press reports this can often be the first or only information a person has regarding aspergers.

Australien wrote:

Besides, if we are prepared to claim many of the intellectual rockstars (many of whom were dead before Asperger's paper, let alone its modern rediscovery), we should be prepared to accept that some Aspies will do bad things, whether that behaviour is influenced by AS or not.

I don't know quite why you use the word "we". I for one think it the heights of silliness to claim any famous people who have died had AS; idle speculation that doesn't really achieve anything.

I can accept that aspies will do bad things but I am annoyed when it is brought up in court by lawyers when it has no bearing on the case at all in the vague hope that it will garner some sympathy.

nemorosa
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15 Sep 2011, 11:25 am

DGuru wrote:

Are not most laws subjective? For example, homosexuality was (and still is) illegal in many parts of the world. Most laws (though not always) reflect the prevailing attitudes of society. There are only a few crimes, such a physical assaults (other than the severity I suppose), which are not subjective.

MrXxx
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15 Sep 2011, 12:18 pm

Without even reading any other replies here I can tell this is the kind of thread that might degenerate very quickly into nonproductive angry tit-for-tats. Not that most of you replying would do so, but it only takes a couple who can't let it go. So, here's my one thought.

I've just got one question.

What the hell kind of positive outcome does the judge think a jail sentence will cause in this case? This kid obviously has issues with death. Explain to me how jail is going to correct it.

Autism shouldn't be used as an excuse, but it most certainly could explain his inability to understand how what he was doing was affecting other people.

Comedians pull this kind of humor all the time on national and international television. Something tells me he's seen this. If he has, and has also seen that not only do none of these comedians get sent to jail for their crassness, isn't it possible that society itself has taught him that this is okay?

C'mon people! We should ALL know that figuring out the "rules" is one of the hardest things for us to do.

Jail isn't the answer. The kid needs counseling.

I know a lot of people who spent time in jails and prisons. Not a single one of them learned empathy in any of them.

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Surfman
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15 Sep 2011, 12:41 pm

Is jail out of the question for ALL aspie crime?

Aint it a bit like being sent to your room, or grounded for a week?

Making an example of Sean Duffy is fine by me. I find too many aggressive young males hiding behind the keyboard.

When I used to rehome and retrain bad dogs, chaining them to the kennel was a punishment reserved for fighting and anti social behaviour.

After being ignored for 12 hours and a night in the hole they were more willing to conform to the ground rules

ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
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15 Sep 2011, 12:48 pm

DerStadtschutz wrote:

ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:

hurtloam wrote:

DerStadtschutz wrote:

Well just because they think they're doing good doesn't change the fact that they aren't, that there is no god, or that they're f**** up in the head, so that's irrelevant. I'm pretty sure Hitler thought he was doing the world a favor too, but that doesn't make what he did right, and it doesn't excuse what he did either.

So are you suggesting that as long as there's political agenda, it's okay??? Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what it sounds like, and I just can't agree with that.

Yeah, that's why I said it was their own "twisted" way.

Sparhawke
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15 Sep 2011, 1:10 pm

Pete255 wrote:

DerStadtschutz wrote:

it is leading to a really slippery slope. WHERE DOES IT END?

It covers phone stalking and sending endless messages that way too, threatening letters (poison pen) as well as plastering malicious posters around the town of people.

I am sure you have heard of it, and I glad the courts are smacking down these people who think they can hide behind the internet and get away with whatever they want.

I have been an internet moderator for longer than most people have been able to reach a keyboard and in that time I have seen an incredible amount of crap, it is about time the law started taking this seriously.

LiendaBalla
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15 Sep 2011, 1:32 pm

mds_02 wrote:

hurtloam wrote:

Burzum wrote:

That's still ret*d. If someone is trolling, you ignore them. Absolute freedom of speech should always be upheld on the internet.

I disagree. DId you read what he did? He created a video using the face of a girl who died on a railway line and pasted it onto a children's cartoon train. He wrote on her tribute face book page. "I fell asleep on the track lulz."
That's just sick!

Imagine if one of your close friends or relatives had died and some stranger was making horrible comments to you about it.

There are things that people just shouldn't do. There's no reason to be unkind and thoughtless and aggressively post abusive messages directed at hurting people.

By all means have an opinion about things, but there's no need to hurt other people.

I agree that he's a terrible person. Still, the American version of freedom of speech is too ingrained into me for me to agree with his being jailed.

So basicly you're saying that freedom of speech is the freedom to be as big a jerk as possible, and not the freedom to express your belief or oppinions openly? What a great world I live in then? No wander I think abusers get loved.

NorwichAspie
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15 Sep 2011, 1:50 pm

Just maybe Sean Duffy has suffered at the hands of NT's for years and with the useless mental health system for Aspies in this once great country all that anger has to go somewhere. If you put pressure on something for so long, it ends up breaking. Thats what is happening to many aspies. Lets face it, for REAL aspies is hard.

He was mocking the dead although aspies get mocked every day of the friggin year.

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