A bi-partisan bill that would make leaving annoying or offensive comments online a criminal offense is being proposed in Arizona,
prompting several people to declare that the bill violates freedom of
expression, according to the Associated Press. “The bill would update telephone
harassment and stalking laws by adding the use of computers or smartphones,”
the Associated Press said.
The punishment for breaking this new law, if signed by the
state’s governor, is a fine of up to $2,500 and/or six months in prison, the
news site Examiner explained.
Although cyber-bullying has become a problem over the last
few years, passing a law such as this one would cause too many problems as to
what is and what is not considered a criminal offense.
In a letter to Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, the Media Coalition group, an association that defends the First Amendment, wrote that while
protecting people from harassment is a worthy goal "legislators cannot do
so by criminalizing speech protected by the Constitution,” according to the
website Digital Trends.
On April 4, The Huffington Post reported that because of the
public’s outcry regarding this bill, it is now being revised. According to the
Huffington Post, “Legal experts argue that the proposed bill violates the First Amendment, offers a vague definition of exactly what speech would be
prohibited, and stands to criminalize communication that is commonplace -- and
protected -- online.”
People are always making inappropriate comments, especially
on social media sites, such as Facebook. To try to oppress people from speaking
their mind is a violation of freedom of expression. The government of Arizona should
realize this and be cautious of what they are proposing.
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