goalie wrote:gyrfalcon wrote:archerychamp wrote:Do you think words are harmless or can they pose a threat?
Words are just information, and are harmless in and of themselves... but legally any words that "the actor knows or has reason to know would cause the victim under the circumstances to feel frightened, threatened, oppressed, persecuted, or intimidated" could be considered stalking and prosecuted under Minnesota statues:
If he has been truly harassing someone they have the option to get a restraining order:
Have you read his open letter?
Follow up, if you did read the letter: Is posting that letter something you approve of? Or, to ask a different way, had you been asked prior to it being posted, would you have thought that the posting of said letter on the internet was a good idea?
Simple yes or no answers are fine.
Not to speak for gyrfalcon, but I think the question is one of behavior that is in violation of the law vs violation of civility or poor taste(to put it mildly).
Speaking for myself:
Yes. I did read his letter. As well as some of the other web sites' BS
No. Posting that letter, or the parodies would not be something I would do, approve of, or recommend anyone do in any imaginable circumstance.
That said : Was the letter, or anything else in violation of law, or does it meet a standard to indicate a threat to himself or others? I cannot answer that. If the letter did violate the law, if JoelR threatened someone: charge him to fullest extent possible, with the correct charges, in a timely manner.
And if he is a threat, based on the police station incident, or the letter, then why the delay in charging him with a different crime.
It is quite a different thing to attempt to monitor, and advocate the legal process taking it's course vs wishing the process divert from course to exact popular vengeance.
Personally, I have never met JoelR, I have only once briefly communicated directly with him(email declining a get-together lunch invitation), and until the police station video was published, I was mostly unaware of his background and didn't know he had a 'history'.
I doubt I'd choose him as a friend, nor would I wish to spend time with him, as he now appears to exist. I do believe, from what I've recently read, he is, as others have said, on a downward spiral. That said, he still has rights until they are legally denied him.
In a related note, about 3 weeks ago, when state Rep. Tom Hackbarth was found with '"a fully loaded gun" at Planned Parenthood, the police, the media, and much of the populous were pretty sure they had (pick one or more): a stalker, a terrorist, an anti-abortion terrorist, a nut- with a gun; on their hands. The disposition of that case is now: 'nevermind'.
I believe the general point being made is that the process cannot be overlooked just because someone has gone out of his way (quite successfully) to be a PIA.