Should Facebook Take Down Aurora Shooter's Fanpages?

As much as I believe in our constitutional rights, there must be limits. We're all familiar with the argument about yelling 'FIRE'! in a crowded theater. Do I have the right, by voice or in text, to threaten you with death or bodily harm, even if I don't really mean it? I mean, they're just words! It sickens me that I know the names Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, James Holmes, and of course, Adam Lanza, yet I can't recall ONE name of any of their victims. Blame that on the media. They repeat the names of evil doers over and over and over. They run so-called 'news coverage' from these events for weeks on end. What's really happening is there will be some real sick puppy, who wants to 'off' himself. Will he do it in the privacy of his own garage or basement? NO! He will not be recorded in history, with a 15 second local news blip. However, given the widespread coverage of the names mentioned above, this sick individual who's going to 'off' himself anyway, will want to go out in a blaze of glory, and be 'remembered'! We need to stop giving the sick (expletive deleted) national and global recognition. Rant key (off).

any human will be taken a back with such things at some point of time and land in problems

And publicly announce/shame every one of his followers

I would hate if I believed in something and just because a majority of the people in the world disagreed with me I wouldn't be able to express it anymore. It just doesn't sound right. (I'm not saying I believe in what he did just that we should respect their freedom of speech)

If you don't like it, don't fan it.

Ignore the idiot and move on. It's a free country right? Freedom of speech and expression. If you don't like the material being offered ignore it, don't read it, don't look at it, don't show it that you are aware of it.

Exactly! Thank you.
No matter what it's about, Freedom of Speech.

NO but, they should let their neighbors know who they are though .

Yes! Finally, we have some people who will uphold censorship! All hail SOPA!
Down with the traumatizing 1st amendment! Down with the old fashioned ideals of "freedom of speech". It offends people; therefore, it must be abolished!
Sarcasm: learn to speak it.

The 1st amendment arguement is invalid here. The 1st Amendment only applies to government censorship. Private sector companies can do whatever they want. In an age where we get all this outrage over the stupidest things and anything that some idiot says offends them is taken down, you think that these truly offensive pages should be left up for first amendment rights (that don't apply here)? Sorry, not buying it. They should get all the names of the people who are "fans" of these pages and put them on some kind of watch list, and then take them down just for being in horrifically bad taste.

This has been said more than once, I know, but they are under protection of the first amendment. And as long as they aren't out doing harm onto others, why should we care if some psychos idolize James Holmes?

That sonuvabitch had a FAN page?!? Hell, yes, take it down! Or, better yet, track everyone that "liked" his page, and have the FBI pay them a visit!

Who would be his fan in the first place?!?!?!

My thoughts exactly! Who, in their right mind, would "like" his "fan" page??

There should be no fan pages for criminals. The only people who would be their fan are criminals or want to be criminals and should be locked up. If you condone it you are just as guilty

No instead they should monitor them, and watch for wannabe's, Reopen all the psych hospitals and throw them in ..

While I agree that that might be a smart thing to do to pick up on chatter of a threatening nature, Allowing the pages to remain active just lends creedance to this whack job mass murderer. So I still think it best that those pages be taken down.

Yes

But as disgusting/distasteful as the pages may be... they are still protected under the 1st amendment.

Facebook could change their policies but I imagine that would more trouble than it's worth.

though the freedom of speech doesn't apply to privately owned businesses I admire facebook's opinion that they are protecting it, freedom is freedom, whether I agree with them or not they should be able to do it.

What's the good point of leaving it there? Is it offering any releif to the families? Is anything positive coming from it?

Well, it depends.
If some of those posting on those pages were to say something incriminating, that could be quite beneficial.. in preventing a repeat performance.
It can also be considered beneficial that those touting some sort of support for the shooter's actions, show themselves "in public," so to speak. It's good that the whole world is able to identify them for who/what they are.

Other than that, I agree with you that the pages are otherwise worthless.
That pesky 1st Amendment, however, & the right of a free enterprise to do business as it sees fit with whomever it sees fit, sorta get in the way of anyone forcing Facebook to take any sort of action.

Agreed Grammar, but again leaving them up is glorifying the bastard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...and?

I don't see your point.
You can hate it all you want, but that does not change the fact that they're there & FB is not going to remove them... nor should they if they choose not to.
I understand your outrage & empathize.
However, I think it's good to recognize those who would support such actions & be allowed to vent all that outrage directly on them. Go to the page! Release your rage on them. Be aggressive & vile. Let them really know how you feel.
Maybe you will feel better.
...just don't threaten them. You'll get your own butt in trouble.

Agreed.

This guy and the other previous ones should not be rewarded. For example if we would all stop and think about this . In the last 20 years for example in similiar mass killings who's name is more easy to remember "The Killer" or "The Victims"

VERY TRUE, not just so much the last 20 but, for example can any one here remember the names of those murdered in LA during the summer of 1969?
The People Responsible were

Here is a clue!
Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, Linda Kasabian, Leslie Van Houten, Steve "Clem" Grogan Charles "Tex" Watson and Charles Manson were the Murderers/Conspirators.

Give Up




















Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski; Abigail Folger, Steven Parent, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.

7 people 48 hours

I wonder why he still has Fans? We don't need any more idiots like him. If you are a fan of his, you should be ashamed. He is just another murderer.

Yes for the sake of humanity there are too many attention seeking young minds that may copy his actions as means to an end! Not to mention for the victims and their families! 1st Amendment my ass this guy gave up those rights when he decided to take the lives of his victims...He will not be allowed access to a computer in Prison awaiting his execution and It is to my understanding that it is he that has to do the posting to his facebook not some twisted fan. Therefore any facebook account posing as him is therefore fraudulent and facebook is guided by it's own rules to remove the account and would do such in good taste!!

The last thing we need is for this to be swept under the carpet. His page should remain as a constant reminder of what kind of people walk among us.

Shoot the Bastard!

Yeah, I'm full favor of that idea.
A 38 shell costs what? Forty-five cents? Something like that? Seems a far better idea than the millions this bastard is going to end up costing the citizens of Colorado & the US in court costs, jail & prison expenses, therapy, etc & so forth ad nauseum.
The bastard is not going to ever contribute any single positive thing to society or even his family's lives. He no longer serves any purpose on this planet whatsoever. He is nothing more than an expense.
Simply extinguish him.

Freedom of speech. You don't have to click on it and nobody is forcing you to have a facebook account, either.

I believe they are in horrible taste, but people have a right to free speech and all that. I don't like it, but then if this site proves anything, there's something we all think that a bunch of other people don't like. It's just how life is. I'll be fine just never visiting these fan pages.

Why are they there? This attention is what the killer wanted.

I'm pretty sure the news is where this guys name and face became familiar. Not a facebook page.

Let the world know who's stupid enough to fan that murdering scumbag.

Eliminate each killer immediately and do not publicize their name. This nut case did this for attention and deserves none.

As awful as it is, the page is legal.

I'm no fan of these fools, but the answer is simple...

You don't like it? Don't visit that page.

I won't. Nuts are all over the world but I think America has the most. Its a shame for we have been given so much.