I mean... Trump has also decided that his tweets are official communication from the WH, and he IS the POTUS.
So is the media just supposed to ignore the inane shit POTUS says ?
They could report honestly, for a start. At least I can look directly at POTUS Twitter instead of having to rely on what media decides makes him look worse.
Every single time Trump deletes a tweet, he technically commits a crime. What makes it so fucked up is he was the one who made his twitter a WH communication channel, and therefore, made his own deleting of tweets illegal. I mean, what the actual fuck? I get that he doesn't like to answer questions, but damn.
Half the time anyone crosses a street they technically commit a crime. Ever done your girl in the ass? Congrats, you're a criminal in many jurisdictions.
Now, dishonest reporting? There's a crime that actually hurts people.
And the ass thing, too. Maybe. I don't know your life.
I commit crimes daily... as I love the ganja. I'm not about to keep illegal if given the opportunity. If it were legal at the federal level, I also wouldn't make it illegal, which pretty analogous to what he did. Like 95% of it would be the same thing.
That doesn't change anything. Free speech is dead in those places. That it's even in the books means that it can be used to hem somebody up. Maybe by bad luck, maybe by bad actors. Who can be comfortable with the state or it's agents having that power?
(Free Speech laws)
5 Justified limitations
Subject to section 4, the rights and freedoms contained in this Bill of Rights may be subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.
14 Freedom of expression
Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and opinions of any kind in any form.
(From the Bill of Rights Act 1990)
Offensive behaviour or language
Every person is liable to a fine not exceeding $1,000 who,—
in or within view of any public place, behaves in an offensive or disorderly manner; or
in any public place, addresses any words to any person intending to threaten, alarm, insult, or offend that person; or
in or within hearing of a public place,—
uses any threatening or insulting words and is reckless whether any person is alarmed or insulted by those words; or
addresses any indecent or obscene words to any person.
Every person is liable to a fine not exceeding $500 who, in or within hearing of any public place, uses any indecent or obscene words.
In determining for the purposes of a prosecution under this section whether any words were indecent or obscene, the court shall have regard to all the circumstances pertaining at the material time, including whether the defendant had reasonable grounds for believing that the person to whom the words were addressed, or any person by whom they might be
There are a lot of places, even in the US, where free speech is restricted. You can even be charged on your own private property if what you say online is a credible threat.
@mrfahrenheit By Odin, it's worse than I thought.
@funkmasterrex There is a stark difference between threatening to slit a man's throat while detailing that you know where he lives and what his schedule is, opposed to telling somebody to fuck off while dining at Wendy's.
Threats aren't free speech, hurting feelings is.
So is the media just supposed to ignore the inane shit POTUS says ?
Now, dishonest reporting? There's a crime that actually hurts people.
And the ass thing, too. Maybe. I don't know your life.
5 Justified limitations
Subject to section 4, the rights and freedoms contained in this Bill of Rights may be subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.
14 Freedom of expression
Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and opinions of any kind in any form.
(From the Bill of Rights Act 1990)
Every person is liable to a fine not exceeding $1,000 who,—
in or within view of any public place, behaves in an offensive or disorderly manner; or
in any public place, addresses any words to any person intending to threaten, alarm, insult, or offend that person; or
in or within hearing of a public place,—
uses any threatening or insulting words and is reckless whether any person is alarmed or insulted by those words; or
addresses any indecent or obscene words to any person.
Every person is liable to a fine not exceeding $500 who, in or within hearing of any public place, uses any indecent or obscene words.
In determining for the purposes of a prosecution under this section whether any words were indecent or obscene, the court shall have regard to all the circumstances pertaining at the material time, including whether the defendant had reasonable grounds for believing that the person to whom the words were addressed, or any person by whom they might be
@funkmasterrex There is a stark difference between threatening to slit a man's throat while detailing that you know where he lives and what his schedule is, opposed to telling somebody to fuck off while dining at Wendy's.
Threats aren't free speech, hurting feelings is.