Moonbeam McQueen once posted about Megan Meier, and I just came across an updated article on the trial progress of the woman accused of harassing Megan, allegedly leading Megan to commit suicide. (In case you don’t want to read the article, she’s pleaded not guilty and is out, free, on $20,000 bail.)
I haven’t really been following this story all that much. It’s horrible, though. What jumped out at me was this bit of content in today’s article at the Seattle Times online.
James Chadwick, a Palo Alto attorney who specializes in Internet and media law, said he has never seen the statute [Computer Fraud and Abuse Act} applied to the sending of messages.
He said it was probable that liability for the girl’s death would not be an issue in the case. “As tragic as it is,” he said, “You can’t start imposing liability on people for being cruel.”
Say what? You can’t? But we impose laws and penalties on people for being cruel to animals. Why on earth can’t we hold people accountable for doing the same to other human beings? That’s got to be the most assanine comment I’ve ever heard. Just because the medium inflicting the cruelty was words and technology and not hands, fists, and stones, doesn’t make the act any less viscious. We prosecute Marines for throwing puppies off of cliffs, but this woman doesn’t get hit with some sort of involuntary manslaughter or something?
Some things just make no sense to me.
But one good bit of progress…
In response to the case, Missouri legislators gave final approval to a bill making cyber harassment illegal.
Random Inkings 
good commentary, good writing. keep writing, i’ll keep reading.
Comment by conrad — June 16, 2008 @ 1:46 pm |
Thanks, Conrad. 🙂
Comment by Little Miss — June 16, 2008 @ 1:49 pm |
The fact that much of the world now knows who Lori Drew is and what she’s done is a great punishment to me. Her life has got to be in shambles. She had to appear in federal court, and due to the fact that her name, address and phone number have been splashed all over the web, she certainly has to be suffering. Her life will never be the same. Of course neither will Megan Meier’s parents.
I know nothing about laws, but what this malicious woman did is inexcusable. If what she did wasn’t child abuse, I don’t know what is.
Comment by Moonbeam McQueen — June 16, 2008 @ 7:08 pm |
Every day thousands mabey even millions of people log into to myspace,myyearbook,facebook,emo earth,and so many other sites. the fact is it is so easy to lie more than half of the users for each site are not the requierd age. None off tht has changed since this tragady and sadly none of it will. What happend wasnt right lawfuly or moraly the past can not b changed but what went on can be justified nothing will bring megan back but evry thing is keeping the people who drove her to maddness out of jail. my opion is tht as parent the others girls parent should have acted grown and saved megan the pain and heart break tht killed her and a “friend” of megans the girl should have not ever been so crul.once agin the past cant b changed but all parents should have since enough to watch their children.
Comment by musiclover — June 24, 2008 @ 2:44 pm |