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“Burn This Bitch Down” Is Free Speech

SORRY, WHITE PEOPLE … By FITSNEWS  ||  So far the “white” response to the recently announced police investigation of Michael Brown‘s stepfather – Louis Head – has been positive. In their view, it’s not nice to incite riots … and their view has the benefit of being correct (no matter your skin color).  But…

SORRY, WHITE PEOPLE …

By FITSNEWS  ||  So far the “white” response to the recently announced police investigation of Michael Brown‘s stepfather – Louis Head – has been positive.

In their view, it’s not nice to incite riots … and their view has the benefit of being correct (no matter your skin color).  But is it criminal to incite a riot?  And if it is, should it be?  Let’s recap … and reflect.

Head is married to Lesley McSpadden, the mother of the 18-year-old robbery suspect who was shot and killed in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9 by police officer Darren Wilson.  Despite evidence corroborating Wilson’s version of events (namely that Brown attacked him and attempted to take his gun), the case has been pimped by racial agitators and a ratings-hungry liberal media as evidence of deadly, deep-seated racism – especially after a grand jury of nine whites and three blacks declined to charge Wilson with a crime (even involuntary manslaughter).

In the aftermath of the not-so-controversial decision, Head appeared before an angry mob of mostly black protesters in Ferguson and urged them to “burn this bitch down.”  They obliged … looting and setting fire to dozens of businesses in the St. Louis suburb.

This website has been criticized for its coverage of the Ferguson drama – which we believe to be a textbook case of misplaced, manufactured outrage.

But whether people are angry as a result of legitimate injustice or – as we see in the Michael Brown case – naked political and media manipulation, they still have a right to be angry.  And we cannot muzzle their expressions of that anger.

Head’s comment may have stirred up the crowd, but as McSpadden said the crowd was “already stirred.”

And even if it can be proven in court that Head’s comment directly or proximately caused others to loot and burn, at the end the day those are still decisions by others.  And those “others” are the ones who deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

We don’t condone Head’s comment – nor do we condone the destruction of personal property it helped spawn – but at the end of the day criminalizing his speech is ludicrous.

However misguided certain anger may be, people have a right to feel – and express – that emotion.  When it becomes criminal is the moment its expression infringes on the rights of others.

That’s our view, anyway. What do you think? Vote in our poll and post your thoughts in our comments section below …

RAPID REACTION

(Pic: Via)

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81 comments

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr December 3, 2014 at 9:06 am

I disagree.

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Rocky December 3, 2014 at 9:14 am

Yeah Baby!!! Torch it!!!

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The Colonel December 3, 2014 at 9:22 am

Hmmm, “…Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances….”

Doesn’t seem all that complicated to me, what part of “…peaceably assemble…” are you struggling with? Your survey lacks an appropriate response – “…is already rightly criminalized.”

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King Barry's Penis Huge December 3, 2014 at 9:28 am

Didn’t you hear Colonel? “Burn this Motherfucker Down” is the new “Kumbaya My Lord”. An executive order was issued moments before the grand jury decision was rendered.

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jwils09 December 3, 2014 at 12:22 pm

Free Speech = Consequences

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The Colonel December 3, 2014 at 12:46 pm

I tend to think of it this way:

Freedom = Responsibility

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Mike at the Beach December 3, 2014 at 12:48 pm

…or Constitutional Republic = reasonable restrictions to speech and behavior as part of the social contract. Not to get hyperbolic, but the alternative is anarchy, chaos, etc.

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Idiocracy December 3, 2014 at 1:02 pm

Acting uncivilized = consequences

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The Colonel December 3, 2014 at 1:14 pm

Now that one I can unequivocally concur with.

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Fecal Matters December 3, 2014 at 9:24 am

“but at the end of the day criminalizing his speech is ludicrous.”

Criminalizing speech is ludicrous, but you still can’t walk into a crowded movie theater and shout “FIRE” so why should you be able to stand in the middle of an agitated crowd and repeatedly yell “BURN THIS MOTHERFUCKER DOWN”? It’s not a freedom of speech issue, Will, it’s a did this man incite a riot issue. At the very least the shop owners who’ve lost their livelihoods should band together and file a civil suit against him.

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Smirks December 3, 2014 at 9:34 am

Speech can contribute to violent acts by emboldening people committing them and therefore making them worse. It’s one thing if his speech is stoking the crowd’s emotions, but entirely another if he’s actively encouraging illegal acts.

I say let a jury decide if “burn this bitch down” is simple protesting or inciting violence.

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SCBlueWoman December 3, 2014 at 9:36 am

I understand that the mother and step father are hurt and grieving. That said, words do have consequences and what the step father did was stupid and possibly criminal.

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Idiocracy December 3, 2014 at 9:41 am

A. Maze. Ing. SCBW has a brain.

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Halfvast Conspirator December 3, 2014 at 9:49 am

They had very little to do with the Gentle Giant’s life. They’re just looking for the payout, like Tarvon’s “parents.” Gimme summadats.

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nitrat December 3, 2014 at 10:07 am

I would say that most people who have heard the mother and stepfather on TV realize that they may have some developmental delays.
Brown’s father, on the other hand, seems to be a rational, intelligent person.

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Idiocracy December 3, 2014 at 10:14 am

True. Mom seems like a halfwit, Dad is clearly rational to kick her to the curb.

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SCBlueWoman December 3, 2014 at 10:52 am

They are poor, uneducated, and marginalized.

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Idiocracy December 3, 2014 at 11:08 am

The first two are avoidable once they reached a suitable age to make decisions for themselves. The last is a fraud and a state of mind perpetuated by race pimps.

SCBlueWoman December 3, 2014 at 11:59 am

That’s your opinion but it is not actual fact. Race pimps? Good lord.

jwils09 December 3, 2014 at 12:21 pm

“The last is a fraud and a state of mind perpetuated by race pimps.”

Or not understood by outsiders…

The Colonel December 3, 2014 at 11:08 am

“They are poor, uneducated, and marginalized.”

I’m so freaking tired of that excuse. I see black and white kids every day who were “…poor, uneducated, and marginalized…’ doing something about it by getting an education and finding their way in the world. I had a Scout troop downtown years ago, we had kids who were “…poor, uneducated, and marginalized…” one of those “poor kids” is now the vice-president of a local bank another is a doctor, all of them have jobs and families. You are who you want to be.

Smirks December 3, 2014 at 11:40 am

one of those “poor kids” is now the vice-president of a local bank another is a doctor

Well, those are, uh, careers that require higher-than-average education, not to mention the latent talent to be able to achieve those positions.

You’re also talking about kids in the Scouts, which means their parents let them/put them in there, which means their parents actually give a damn about their kids, even if it isn’t to the greatest degree. The Scouts would also have a much higher likelihood of positive role models for kids.

I came from a poor background. I had a strong drive to make something of myself, and every day I swore I wouldn’t repeat my parents’ mistakes, that I would raise a family and never let my own kids suffer through what I had to. I feel like I’m at that point, though I do not yet have kids.

Then again, I was blessed with the ability to do well in school with almost no help. I had several good role models. I knew what career I wanted, was capable of working in said field, and it was a stable career that pays great, especially if you’re good at it. I didn’t live in a good neighborhood by any means, but I wasn’t constantly surrounded by bad influences and negative peer pressure that I couldn’t escape. My parents may not have been able to provide for me properly, but they did show love towards me and were willing to help out any way they can. They weren’t abusive to me, nor were they especially negligent. My “success” isn’t going to mean a lot to someone who didn’t have even half of these things.

There are people in better conditions growing up that turn out far, far worse than I, and there are people in worse conditions growing up that will turn out far, far better than I. Even so, environment does a lot to shape an individual, and being able to defy your environment in a positive way is a good bit more rare than it should be, and for most that trait is triggered by something, or someone, somewhere in their life.

There will always be bad people, but there are also people capable of changing for the better when given the right catalyst(s) to do so.

The Colonel December 3, 2014 at 11:54 am

“..There will always be bad people, but there are also people capable of changing for the better when given the right catalyst(s) to do so…”

So you agree with me?

The troop was sponsored by a church. Half of those kids were from single parent homes and half were from traditional two parent homes where the parents had jobs and money. About an equal number of white and black faces. They “all played well together”, sometimes by choice and sometimes by force.

Many of the kids were there because the “had to be” (mommy and daddy made them). The future bank VP rode his bike half way across town rain or shine, cold or hot because he wanted to be there. He was “on scholarship” (one of the adults always paid his fees). His uniforms were always second hand but always worn properly and proudly.

He achieved Eagle Scout at 16 and we found him an old, used car as a reward. He stayed active with the troop till he went away to Clemson (the only thing he ever did that I found fault with) on multiple scholarships. He continues to “pay it forward” to this day.

nitrat December 3, 2014 at 1:07 pm

People with IQs 70 and below are classified as mentally retarded. But, people with IQs from about 85 to 71 can be expected to have increasing problems with multi-step job tasks. Ask a psychologist or vocational evaluator.
One can extrapolate from there other life tasks and responsibilities they could be expected to have deficiencies with. Some of them can be expected to have problems with even the ‘you want fries with that?’ job tasks.
If we accept that some people are geniuses, some are average and some are mentally retarded, we pretty much have to accept that those in the below average range exist, too. On the old bell curve, they are about 20% of the population.
Lots of the jobs these people used to have been outsourced or taken over by immigrants.

The Colonel December 3, 2014 at 2:11 pm

The “below average” crowd is an issue but I haven’t heard anyone say that the “SFIIQ” (Step Father Inciter In Question) was “below average”. In fact, we generally go all the way down to the low 70s or 60s before we say “not guilty by reason of mental defect”. He’s been seen and heard in interviews and seems to be a reasonably intelligent person.

TontoBubbaGoldstein December 3, 2014 at 7:03 pm

If we accept that some people are geniuses, some are average and some are mentally retarded, we pretty much have to accept that those in the below average range exist, too. On the old bell curve, they are about 20% of the population.

PRO TIP:
Roughly half of the population is “below average” intelligence.

*****************************************************************
20% is probably surprisingly close (though on the low side) to the percentage of American’s with an IQ at or below 85.

TontoBubbaGoldstein December 3, 2014 at 6:22 pm

he went away to Clemson (the only thing he ever did that I found fault with)

TBG would love to tell you that copious amounts of Preparation H and fire-water will make the butthurt go away…but 5 years of personal experience says…”Nada.”

Sorry, Chief.

The Colonel December 3, 2014 at 6:24 pm

It was almost twenty-five years ago, I’m over it…

SCBlueWoman December 3, 2014 at 11:47 am

In a perfect world, yes. What makes one succeed and others fail? Not all are able to “rise above.” Some give up because of the tremendous odds against them. I’m freaking tired of everyone being labeled the same. You helped. Did all you helped succeed? Not everyone gets an ounce of help and if you are told each and every day that you are worthless, some get beaten down, others do not. You are clueless.

The Colonel December 3, 2014 at 12:06 pm

I contend that anyone who wants to “change their stars” can. How many did I help along the way? I’m not sure what the ultimate number will be, I’m still trying to do my part. That troop had a pretty good success rate – it’s gone now that politics and “political correctness” have entered the Boy Scouts.

Even those who ultimately can’t “rise above” can live honorable lives. There is no dishonor in asking “…will there be fries with that…”.

Idiocracy December 3, 2014 at 12:39 pm

Some individuals don’t want help.

Rocky December 3, 2014 at 1:09 pm

I met one once at Reagan National who had become a Senator. He’s President now – and by the way – I’ve stood next to lots of our “legislators” in security at Reagan – and he was by far the most congenial and likeable one – joking around with people, engaging. Most of the GOP ones cluster together like little school girls and avoid eye contact.

The Colonel December 3, 2014 at 2:18 pm

Narcissist tend to be very engaging as long as they’re the center of attention.

I’ve stood in those lines as well and have shared a row with on the plane with Joe Wilson, Johnny Spratt, Mulvaney and even Ol’Enos. I found them all to be friendly and then get on with whatever they were doing. Mulvaney and Spratt had thick stacks of stuff to read and work through and were busy the whole flight. Joe Wilson colored hard for most of the flight but then he fell asleep…

RogueElephant December 3, 2014 at 9:09 pm

Senator Tim Scott was once poor, uneducated, and marginalized. It’s called self respect. In America , if you want to bad enough you can do or be anything you want.

xx December 6, 2014 at 8:11 pm

Nice way to say they are stupid.

SCBlueWoman December 6, 2014 at 10:06 pm

That in no way says they are stupid. Bless your heart.

why? December 3, 2014 at 11:26 am

they had 3 months to grieve and to “hurt”. they expected this outcome and to pretend that it was a spontaneous outburst is just more fiction.

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Mike at the Beach December 3, 2014 at 9:34 am

One of the dumbest legal opinions ever expressed on this site, and that is one high bar, that. Back to law school for FITS News. At least he was right about the lack of actual injustice part…

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Mike Needs Anger Management December 3, 2014 at 10:55 am

But not as dumb as you. Why are you always so angry at the world? You are so bitter for some reason. Did your wife divorce you and the court terminated your parental rights or something?

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Mike at the Beach December 3, 2014 at 1:04 pm

Wow…I’m dumb and angry for pointing out the *obviously* incorrect interpretation of the law posted by FITS? OK. As for being some angry divorced guy who can’t see his kids…maybe you’re projecting there…I dunno. I actually stay tickled as shit most of the time. I make much of my income based upon stupid people, and business is pretty damn good these days.

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RogueElephant December 3, 2014 at 9:05 pm

“I make much of my income based upon stupid people.” I’ll bet you have a waiting line all the way down the block. I have a friend that runs a pawn shop, check cashing and title loan operation. Some of the stories he can tell. WOW.

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Mike at the Beach December 3, 2014 at 9:38 pm

Job security, mi amigo. Job security.

Buz Martin December 3, 2014 at 11:54 am

Plus wrong about the decision not being controversial. Not controversial to those who agreed with it, sure. But the rash statement made by the very man who is the subject of this “free speech” post, not to mention the protests (all over the place) and the burning, looting, etc. proves it was controversial to a great many others. We can argue that the controversy was wrong-headed, but not about whether or not it existed.

Not Will’s shining moment, I’m afraid. If a big-mouthed thug exhorted a crowd to burn down HIS house, then stood back and laughed when they complied, I’m sure he’d sing a different tune.

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TontoBubbaGoldstein December 3, 2014 at 6:15 pm

Not controversial to those who agreed with it, sure.

Well put, Sir!!!!
TBG respectfully requests permission to use this quote, including – but not limited to TBG’s Rules and/or Pro Tips….. in future comments in person, on this and other blogs.

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Buz Martin December 3, 2014 at 7:38 pm

You got it. I hold that truth to be self-evident. So … no charge for this one. First one’s free.
Hmmm … why does that sound familiar? Maybe T-Rav could tell me …

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Joe in the Cold December 3, 2014 at 12:57 pm

The hypocrisy bothers me more than a debate about ‘legal opinions’.
If someone had stood in front of an abortion clinic or Planned Parenthood and yelled what the ‘gentle giants’ felonious daddy spewed,liberals like FITS and abortion loving SCBlueWoman would not tolerate that.

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HD December 3, 2014 at 9:46 am

Just when I thought Folks might not be an idiot. (Just kidding – I never thought that).

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=395&invol=444

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Fecal Matters December 3, 2014 at 10:01 am

Case law doesn’t matter to race pimps like Holder.

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Mike at the Beach December 3, 2014 at 10:06 am

…or FITS, evidently. The government requiring seat belts on the public roadways = horrible tyranny, oppression, and injustice. Individual inciting a crowd to create millions of dollars in arson, vandalism, and theft = legitimate free speech. The 3% fringy libertarian world is a strange place indeed.

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Dont Fuck We Me December 3, 2014 at 10:45 am

I would like to wrap a seat belt around your neck, so you don’t end up with whiplash when I rear end your ass.

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Mike at the Beach December 3, 2014 at 11:18 am

Wow. That’s good stuff.

Squishy123 December 3, 2014 at 10:17 am

I think I’ll go to a movie theater and yell, “FIRE!!!”.

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Idiocracy December 3, 2014 at 10:25 am

Or how about “Burn this Bitch Down”!?!? You would be arrested.

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Testing 1, 2, 3 December 3, 2014 at 10:42 am

I think I will get on a live radio talk show and say, “Niggers are some of the most violent sacks of shit on the planet. If they have a problem with it, come see me. I live at” .( the address for Bobby Harrell in Charleston).

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idcydm December 3, 2014 at 10:18 am

The less intelligent people are the more likely they are to show it.

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Squishy123 December 3, 2014 at 10:21 am

Why doesn’t the media state the fact that the thug didn’t live with his mother or step-father, he didn’t live with his father, he lived with his grandmother. Now it’s just about money to the parents.

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Mike at the Beach December 3, 2014 at 12:42 pm

The facts don’t fit the narrative they’re selling, so in typical fashion they simply step over those facts.

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Dave Chappelle I'm Rick James December 3, 2014 at 12:46 pm

Example #….(infinity) to highlight that “big media” is nothing more than a business.

Must sell ad space…must sell print copies…must sell etc, etc, etc,

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Ed December 3, 2014 at 10:31 am

Can you really incite a riot when a riot was already going on? Let’s get real.

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Fecal Matters December 3, 2014 at 10:35 am

The riot didn’t start until after this imbecile started shooting his mouth off. Was it eminent? Probably, but that does not negate the fact that he committed a crime by advocating for crime.

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jwils09 December 3, 2014 at 12:26 pm

Was anything burning at the time…or did it happen after this idiot scream it?

He should be jailed for his stupidity if ANYTHING!!! Screaming that BS while a MILLION cameras are rolling.

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Mike at the Beach December 3, 2014 at 12:46 pm

I don’t believe the violent part had really spooled up yet, but let’s say for the sake of argument that it had. Legally, defendants *can* in fact enjoin themselves in a pre-existing criminal act at any time, and as soon as they do so they are instantly criminally culpable. Examples in jurisprudence abound- joining a conspiracy late in the game, getting a few licks at the end of a gang beating, harboring fugitives, assisting with crimes already committed / accessory after the fact, etc.

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Ed December 3, 2014 at 12:48 pm

Agreed though I am not sure you equate a speech issue to a gang beating.

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Mike at the Beach December 3, 2014 at 1:11 pm

You’re right, but I wasn’t…my little list was just to demonstrate that one can jump into being responsible for an ongoing criminal offense any ol’ time one likes!

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Toyota Kawaski December 3, 2014 at 10:37 am

Yea and Hitlers speeches caused no problem either? True Dumbass No dam wonder u hang out with T-rav and employ tards like Liz,Man-d,Pixiefairy,and the new Goat Tom urh Taylor

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guest December 3, 2014 at 11:20 am

M. Brown’s mother said (and I quote)… “I say that’s impossible. These things have been going on since August 9th when it first happened. Since that is true, that is ALL THE MORE REASON to not incite the crowds to violence, now isn’t it??

To me, it looked very deliberate on his part to have the rioters do his bidding and the ONLY reason that he is apologizing now is because he is under investigation. He DID incite a riot and no apology will fix that. We are all governed by our emotions. Some people kill in the heat of their anger, but they are still held accountable for murder. Not only that, but M.B. died 3 months prior and they HAD TO KNOW that there was an incredibly strong possibility that there would be no indictment………so their reaction was exaggerated for public consumption.

There was a white man who was killed with a hammer because he was white. I see that they do not mention this man even though they should. Where are all the white people protesting/rioting in the street over the death of this poor man???? *crickets*

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SCBlueWoman December 3, 2014 at 12:00 pm

It was all over the news.

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fred December 3, 2014 at 1:03 pm

Yep and the local Bosnian community have taken to the streets-in support of the police and wanting them to use whatever mean they need to protect them from Democrat voters that rape and pillage our neighborhoods.

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Freedom carries responsibility December 3, 2014 at 11:21 am

“We don’t condone Head’s comment – nor do we condone the destruction of personal property it helped spawn – but at the end of the day criminalizing his speech is ludicrous.”

People that threaten violence aggressively(not defensively), which he did even if he was encouraging others to do it, against person or property are committing a criminal offense.

If we took your notion that free speech is NEVER criminal, the making a verbal deal to pay someone to kill your spouse wouldn’t be considered a crime until it actually happened….that…frankly…is stupid and nonsensical.

Also, you’re not limiting speech by holding people responsible for their words. They can still say whatever they want, but if it’s proven(ostensibly in court) what they said caused harm in a criminal/intentional way then they need to be responsible for it, as well as the party that did the actual crime if it wasn’t them.(like a hired assassin, or roving mob).

I’d have had more sympathy for Brown’s stepfather if he’d have told the mob to help him seek retribution against the cops and court system and leave the innocent people out of it.

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anon. December 3, 2014 at 11:21 am

Adolf Hitler did not personaly kill anyone, but his speach killed millions. Rights should be viewed in the broadest context, but they are not absolute. I am a very strong advocate of the 2nd Amendment, but I don’t think individuals should be able to own Nuclear Weapons. “Speach” is your bread and butter, and as a blogger, you are not standing in front of a violent, angry mob advocating Mayhem. What you say is protected speach. I think you would have a different opinion if someone were addressing an angry crowd in the street in front of your house rallying then to lynch you and burn your house to the ground because of something you wrote.

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Tunes'nNews December 3, 2014 at 12:11 pm

No one in this drama tragedy has any ownership of his or her actions. Everyone gets a pass. Wilson, Brown, race baiters, cable news riot-stokers, looters. All because this country sucks and they’re all just victims of something beyond any individual’s control? Amazing.

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jwils09 December 3, 2014 at 12:17 pm

Send him to jail…if for anything being the stupidest person on the face of the Earth.

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Dave Chappelle I'm Rick James December 3, 2014 at 12:49 pm

The civil courts will straighten this out. When the Brown family collects a likely settlement from a forthcoming civil suit, I’m sure there will be “burned businesses” ready to be made whole.

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Barry'sKids December 3, 2014 at 2:22 pm

#redistributionofwealth

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jwils09 December 3, 2014 at 12:25 pm

“We don’t condone Head’s comment – nor do we condone the destruction of
personal property it helped spawn – but at the end of the day
criminalizing his speech is ludicrous.”

So it’s OK to yell I’m going to kill the President (or anyone for that matter) because it’s free speech?

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Rocky December 3, 2014 at 1:24 pm

What’s the differnce between a disenfranchised black step-father in Ferguson and a disenfranchised white farmer in South Carolina in 1865. One wears a sheet.

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Too little, too late December 3, 2014 at 11:01 pm

“Oops!”

“We’re good now, right?”

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Soft Sigh from Hell December 3, 2014 at 8:36 pm

“We” can shoot down their unarmed kids with a full dozen bullets “Cause we wuz skeerd!” but they had best not yell too loudly about it or say something intemperate even in their moments of high anxiety “Cause freedoms got limits!” “Anyway, he coulda started that riot. It probably wouldn’t a’happened had he just said ‘Let us pray’ That crowd was just milling around completely peaceful-like and quiet satisfied a’fore he made them into a snarling mob!” “That’s the ticket.”

When was the last manly cop? Are they all petty whiners now? They used to have some manhood and common sense. Geez, we now even have cops OFFICIALLY whining about such trivialities as non-obscene hand gestures by football players.

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Mguzman December 4, 2014 at 6:58 am

let these individuals work to rebuild it with no help from the government……”white” people should move leaving Ferguson to those who destroyed it…..

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