Dardene, Missouri--When Dardenne Prairie Missouri Board of Alderman decided to make online harassment a crime, they have hit on a matter that needs not city, nor state but federal attention.But, it won’t do the trick.
The city law passed after a 13-year-old girl committed suicide after receiving harrassing messages on a social networking website.
The young girl’s had befriended a person she thought was a boy but turned out to be the mother of an associate.The mother then made what appears to be mean comments hurting the girl which resulted in her suicide.
There are limits to free speech on the Internet and harassment can take many forms such as online bullying, anonymously posting information on forums and even posting sexual inuendos on popular boards.
The harassment can occur in many ways, and cities and states can create all forms of legislation, but, due to a variety of legal reasons, the only way this type of harmful behavior will stop is when the federal government gets involved.However, the federal government needs more legal authority to deal with these types of behaviors when the activity is really and obviously criminal in nature.
Yes, there will always be the argument of “free speech versus harassment”, but after a while, when the victim is a private citizen or wants to be left alone, one can see and smell harassment.It has a foul online odor and it looks horrible.
The court would ultimately decide the issue as each matter would be one that is case by case in nature.Cities and states can pass ordinances and laws which can be helpful, but, the behavior is nationally endemic as sometimes requires a federal response.
In addition, there are often jurisdiction issue which legally mandates federal engagement.
While legislating the Internet is always a dangerous endeavor and online harassment and abuse instead should be handled with technology remedies in almost all cases, sometimes the results can be very unfortunate unless the feds get involved.There are more incidents of online harassment and when the case is very clear, the federal action becomes the only game in town.
Lori Drew is a psychopath. That part is clear.
But more disturbing than that are the actions of authorities: If it had been an adult MALE that "carried on" in a sexually explicit way with a 13 year old girl, even if it WERE for the purposes of revenge for his teen daughter, he'd be locked up as a pedophile.
Second, there are al-READY laws on the books that cover this type of harassment. For chrissake: just implement them!
What is particularly chilling to me, is that Lori Drew knew that the victim was known to be suicidal in the past. That means that her statement to her that the "world would be better off without you" or whatever it was... is even MORE chilling: it means she was TRYING to steer this girl to suicide. It means she had a desire to push it in that direction, and did so.
Reminds me of Charles Manson. He never "technically" put his own hands upon his victims either, but he "made it happen" by manipulating people, I mean that's the premise upon which he was convicted: that he had INCITED it.
Same thing here. Lori Drew incited this suicide and should be just as responsible as Manson was when he incited those murders---and she should also be treated just like any other adult who engages in online relationships of a sexual nature with under-aged children. Written by Hypatia
on 11/25/2007
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