Originally posted by: Robert Dietz
Actually, you can't in general. And you certainly can't on this forum if the forum owner says nay.
Now to the first point. There is something called "terroristic threats," which are illegal. Not being particularly sensitive in my communications skills, I have had the FBI contact me regarding something I said over the phone. I do have a bit of a loose cannon style of interpersonal suavity. So I can tell you from personal experience, no, you cannot say whatever you like while relying on "freedom of speech." Advocating for someone's death ain't protected by "freedom of speech."
Second, and I also have some experience with this, if the forum owner and location are tethered to your postings, as they indeed are, they bear some responsibility for any issues. So if, for example, a particularly aggressive cadre of Trump fans read this stuff and shows up on Procyon (it is Procyon, is it not?) pissed off and armed, I suspect that the LVA will be more than happy to pull your plug, or pull the plug on the entire forum because it's not worth the considerable hassle. Now how could an aggressive cadre of Trump fans read this stuff? Hell, I'm sure some entrepreneurial folks reading this can simply contact some "Bikers for Trump" groups and spill the beans.
It's like Dalton says in the opening scene of Roadhouse, after the guy stabs him in the parking lot, "Have you thought this through?"
First, I can indeed advocate for the death of a person who has committed capital crimes but not been punished for them. This includes treason, which Trump is obviously guilty of. Do your research--this sort of thing was first litigated back in the 1920s. I can also advocate for the death of a murderer--also validated by case law. A rapist--probably not.
Second, while the MAGA assault on LVA you describe is theoretically possible, it's highly unlikely that no matter how much my anti-Trump remarks might enrage some stupid group of numbnuts, they would blame LVA for them. They would be much more inclined to come after me directly. An armed assault on LVA because of what one of its subscribers said would be like someone burning down a coffee shop because of what a customer said to a friend while having breakfast.
And if someone contacted Bikers for Trump and that group committed a crime as a result, that someone would be an accessory. Now, some of our members are stupid assholes, but I doubt that they're THAT stupid, to commit a crime just because they hate me.
Anthony told me that some people whined about my Trump criticism. Gee, I wonder who. He told them that I'm entitled to my opinion, but asked me, could I please tone it down a bit. So I won't talk about killing Trump if and until he wins the election. Anyway, I don't want him to be a martyr--I want him to lose.
But I do intend to continue to be a vocal Trump critic, if for no other reason than if he wins, I could very well be tracked down and dragged off to prison by his Loyalty Police. And don't tell me that's far-fetched. It was far-fetched in revolutionary Russia or the Weimar Republic. Until it wasn't.
