The Dangers for Libellous Tweeters in the UK
bbc.co.uk
bbc.co.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-18694505
While racism is deplorable, and should be discouraged, it's a scary violation of human rights and free speech to arrest a person for expressing such views.
Sometimes tweets are taken as incitement to others to take the view (or take actino on the view). This is often over-zealous though not always wrong: take ol' wangy-eye of the BNP and his suggestion in a tweet that peopel picket a gay couple's home for instance.
Because these kinds of laws are clearly nuts.
This is just lunacy and only highlights the urgent need to abolish current libel/defamation laws and introduce new ones protecting free speech.
People need to think before they act instead of just sheep herding themselves by mindlessly retweeting crap some other donkey is saying on the Internet. If a few of these idiots need to be taken to court as an example, so be it.
Free speech isn't a licence to kill.
Of course, it's good that a person be held accountable for their tweets and other communications. Neo-nazi or racist speech can be condemned, libel and false speech can be condemned. A person doing this can be outed as a bigot or liar.
But is that a reason for arresting a person? In the USA, the First Amendment to the Constitution says no. In other countries, apparently this is allowable, which is a dangerous tool in the hands of authorities.