Twitter user Douglass Mackey sentenced to 7 months in prison after being found guilty of election interference for making memes disparaging Hillary

[Bradskii]

I do believe that it needs to be proven that someone WAS actually convinced that this meme - or any other - was interpreted not as sarcasm about the "openness" of modern voting but as some new way of voting and thereby were actually and physically defrauded of a legitimate vote.

I dislike victimless crimes who then try and convince you of imaginary victims.

Let's see the victims of this sarcasm. In real life.

Is there any doubt in your mind that the guy was intentionally trying to deceive people? I'd be quite surprised if you thought not.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

I do believe that it needs to be proven that someone WAS actually convinced that this meme - or any other - was interpreted not as sarcasm about the "openness" of modern voting but as some new way of voting and thereby were actually and physically defrauded of a legitimate vote.

I dislike victimless crimes who then try and convince you of imaginary victims.

Let's see the victims of this sarcasm. In real life.

I direct you to post #9.

 

[Hazelelponi]

I direct you to post #9.

Which generally speaking is fine but again, I dislike victimless crimes so show me some real live victims...

Basically your making joking and sarcasm a crime if there's no victim.

 

[Bradskii]

Which generally speaking is fine but again, I dislike victimless crimes so show me some real live victims...

Basically your making joking and sarcasm a crime if there's no victim.

So if James Earl Ray missed, then he's good to go.

 

[Hazelelponi]

So if James Earl Ray missed, then he's good to go.

Missed what? I don't get it.

Maybe post #9 is on my ignore list because in looking at it it appears your talking about something else entirely than what I am

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Which generally speaking is fine but again, I dislike victimless crimes so show me some real live victims...

We can start with the 4900 people who texted "Hillary" to the phone number that the defendant purported would allow them to "Skip the line, vote from home".

Basically your making joking and sarcasm a crime if there's no victim.

A jury of his peers determined that, based on the evidence, his campaign progressed past the point of "joking and sarcasm". He purchased a SMS number and put effort into spreading fraudulent information about the voting process, targeted specifically at a minority group.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Maybe post #9 is on my ignore list because in looking at it it appears your talking about something else entirely than what I am

Quoting directly from post #9, which lays out the details of the crime:

Some details about the "meme"
Mackey conspired with other influential Twitter users and with members of private online groups to use social media platforms, including Twitter, to disseminate fraudulent messages that encouraged supporters of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to “vote” via text message or social media which, in reality, was legally invalid. For example, on November 1, 2016, in or around the same time that Mackey was sending tweets suggesting the importance of limiting “black turnout,” the defendant tweeted an image depicting an African American woman standing in front of an “African Americans for Hillary” sign. The ad stated: “Avoid the Line. Vote from Home,” “Text ‘Hillary’ to 59925,” and “Vote for Hillary and be a part of history.” The fine print at the bottom of the deceptive image stated: “Must be 18 or older to vote. One vote per person. Must be a legal citizen of the United States. Voting by text not available in Guam, Puerto Rico, Alaska or Hawaii. Paid for by Hillary For President 2016.” On or about and before Election Day 2016, at least 4,900 unique telephone numbers texted “Hillary” or some derivative to the 59925 text number, which had been used in multiple deceptive campaign images tweeted by Mackey and his co-conspirators.

A) he was trying to trick people out of voting
B) he obviously acquired his own SMS short code for fraudulent purposes (or published someone else's in order to encourage unwanted traffic to the SMS gateways) -- in either case, it's against the law

That goes well beyond "jokes and sarcasm"

 

[Hazelelponi]

Quoting directly from post #9, which lays out the details of the crime:

That goes well beyond "jokes and sarcasm"

Just exclaiming A ) doesn't prove A.)

The only thing that seems to not be in question is B.

 

[Bradskii]

Missed what? I don't get it.

Maybe post #9 is on my ignore list because in looking at it it appears your talking about something else entirely than what I am

I guess you know who Ray shot at? He didn't miss. There was a victim. If he'd missed then we have no victim. In your terms 'a victimless crime.' If I plant a bomb but it doesn't go off then there are no victims. It is a 'victimless crime.'

What does that actually mean to you?

 

[Hazelelponi]

We can start with the 4900 people who texted "Hillary" to the phone number that the defendant purported would allow them to "Skip the line, vote from home".

A jury of his peers determined that, based on the evidence, his campaign progressed past the point of "joking and sarcasm". He purchased a SMS number and put effort into spreading fraudulent information about the voting process, targeted specifically at a minority group.jus

Texting to a number doesn't prove those people were defrauded.

It is perhaps they were curious what would happen if they texted the number.

Didn't you ever call 867-5309 when you were a kid?

Just to see?

 

[Hazelelponi]

I guess you know who Ray shot at? He didn't miss. There was a victim. If he'd missed then we have no victim. In your terms 'a victimless crime.' If I plant a bomb but it doesn't go off then there are no victims. It is a 'victimless crime.'

What does that actually mean to you?

I don't know the name no... I don't know who you're talking about - I thought we were talking about a guy who made some memes...

Not a guy building bombs who did intend to kill people...

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Just exclaiming A ) doesn't prove A.)

There is evidence for A in what I quoted. He was talking about the importance of suppressing the black vote, and the text of the ads that he was sharing made them appear to be legitimate political ads, endorsed by Clinton's campaign, giving voters incorrect information on how to vote.

I'm sure there's plenty more evidence - after all, the prosecutors managed to convince a jury.

The only thing that seems to not be in question is B.

Which is a crime.

A reminder that the right to free speech is not unlimited. If you yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater - or set off a fire alarm - that's a crime, even if no one gets hurt. "It's just a prank, bro!" doesn't absolve you of responsibility.

 

[Bradskii]

I don't know the name no... I don't know who you're talking about - I thought we were talking about a guy who made some memes...

Not a guy building bombs who did intend to kill people...

Just...what? Ray shot MLK. I can't believe you're not following this.

You are complaining about a so-called victimless crime. If someone shoots at a guy intending to kill him and misses, there is no victim. If someone plants a bomb intending to kill people and it doesn't go off, then there is no victim. If someone tries to persuade a few thousand people to vote incorrectly intending to benefit the person he supports and nobody does actually vote then there is no victim.

You think they have done nothing wrong?

 

[Hammster]

Do you really think he meant for people to take this seriously? The Babylon Bee could be in serious trouble

No kidding.

 

[Hammster]

Does the repeated "Lol" responses mean that perhaps you should've picked a different horse to hitch your wagon to in terms of proving that the left is playing "thought police"?

I'm pretty critical of the left when I feel it's warranted (and cancel culture in general), but I outlined in post #9 why this wasn't simply a case of "guy gets in trouble for meme".

Let's be honest, nobody's getting in trouble for memes...I've posted plenty of "edgy memes" in my day...yet here I am, a free man, not in jail.

A problem I see (more so on the right than on the left) is the willingness to accept "clickbait" as fact. This story seems to fit that criteria.

There are plenty of legitimate examples of the left playing thought police, this story isn't one of them.

No, it means that I’m genuinely amused at those responses. And not surprised how this thread went.

 

[Hazelelponi]

Just...what? Ray shot MLK. I can't believe you're not following this.

You are complaining about a so-called victimless crime. If someone shoots at a guy intending to kill him and misses, there is no victim. If someone plants a bomb intending to kill people and it doesn't go off, then there is no victim. If someone tries to persuade a few thousand people to vote incorrectly intending to benefit the person he supports and nobody does actually vote then there is no victim.

You think they have done nothing wrong?

Speech isn't the same as building a bomb - speech has to be differentiated between comedy, joking, sarcasm - and a threat or a very real attempt to defraud

I cant look at these memes and in any way see anything but sarcasm... Especially since they were memes made in response to other very real memes left wingers were making.

And to be honest I'm questioning whether anyone above a 3rd grade education would take these seriously.

Your on very very shaky ground prosecuting Americans for simple humor.

 

[JustOneWay]

No, they shouldn’t. It’s a stupid charge.

Some of us believe in the rule of law and justice. Stupid was what the criminal did.

 

[JustOneWay]

No, it means that I’m genuinely amused at those responses. And not surprised how this thread went.

This isn't about freedom of speech, and you have nothing else to add in the criminal's defense. I know why you posted LOL.


LOL

 

[JustOneWay]

Speech isn't the same as building a bomb - speech has to be differentiated between comedy, joking, sarcasm - and a threat or a very real attempt to defraud

It wasn't about speech. It was about deceit.

In case some here are not keeping up on current events, the trump supporters are being convicted and imprisoned for their very real attempt to destroy the voting system in this country, and the law will have none of it.

Law and Order. Some people say it as a campaign slogan, while real patriots defend it.

 

[BPPLEE]

It wasn't about speech. It was about deceit.

In case some here are not keeping up on current events, the trump supporters are being convicted and imprisoned for their very real attempt to destroy the voting system in this country, and the law will have none of it.

Law and Order. Some people say it as a campaign slogan, while real patriots defend it.

Maybe they will use some of that law and order to charge the people who took over the Capitol today and hold them without bail.