Just found this article over at Electric Venom. My favorite quote from that article is this:

Austin told the judge Monday he “wasn’t really thinking” when he created the Web site. “I’d be devastated if someone used this information to harm others,” he said.

Read on if you want to hear my rant – but I’ll spare the rest of you! ;)

My take is this? I don’t like the idea that government has the right to prosecute people for what boil down to free speech issues. I don’t like the idea of the government watching what I write or anyone else writes on their blogs or anywhere else. There is plenty that we all write that might be deemed offensive or controversial to any particular administration or governmental body. Thats the beauty of the right to free speech – it leads to free thought. We have the right to express our beliefs and ideals in order to bring about change – for better or for worse..

But c’mon… This guy was also COLOSSALLY STUPID. Why would you post information about bomb making with detailed instructions and ingredients without the expectation that it would be used? If he was sincere in saying that he would be devastated if it was ever used then WHY THE HELL DID HE POST IT? Was it just for fun? Was it just to get a rise out of people?

We are all responsible for the consequences of what we write and what we say. We aren’t allowed to yell fire in a crowded theater – not because such words are restricted – but rather because of the consequences of such words and the actions taken based on those words. We may be held responsible for the results of such words.

When we write, speak, or otherwise communicate we must have the courage of our convictions to stand behind what we say and defend those words and recognize that they may garnish a response and potentially consequences. We learned this on the playground when we got our teeth knocked out for calling someone’s sister ugly.

When we write we must ALWAYS remember that there is a human being on the other end reading. A human who may react – with anger, with hurt, with joy, or with action. Hiding behind a keyboard is not a defense if you ask me.

( Here is some more information on that story )

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