Message board trolls

The next time you are being trolled on an internet message board, you just might be surprised to find out who it really is:

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2013...onfronting-state-rep-white-on-internet-posts/

Shouldn't politicians be above this?

 

That's ridiculous man! I think ultimately though in general it's just one of those things that comes with the territory of being on the internet. Trolling is funny sometimes but obviously that guy is FAR beyond a troll. I was watching something the other day that was talking about how facebook has became a place where people put HORRIBLE things about people on there and basically try and destroy someone they dislike. I'm not ashamed to say that I despise facebook. A few years ago I decided to make a facebook page to put my sermon notes and outlines on there and maybe do little commentaries and stuff but then I realized VERY quickly that it's not really for that at all. LOL. I've heard a lot of people actually have been divorced over that website and there's a lot of "snooping" and things like that that go on. I just think when you're on the internet you've gotta expect this stuff to happen. But to think that an elected official would do this is really disgraceful.

 

BF, you would be hard-pressed to find anything on the internet that doesn't go wrong. What disturbs me is that people will say and do things on the internet that they would absolutely not do in real life. I got on facebook a few years back to use it as a tool in fighting crime. To this day, I'm always amazed at what people will post on the internet. My family learned that I had a facebook page and, before I knew it, I had friend requests coming from every direction. I do stay in touch with family but I refuse to get into arguments or political discussions on there. What this politician did was deplorable but I'm sure he is far from being the only one.

 

Yeah and the funny thing about facebook is that people will send you friend requests and you are like "who in the crap are you???!" LOL. But when you said you were fighting crime were you doing like drug stings or sorta like to catch a predator type stuff? Just out of curiosity. I really don't think there will ever be a real way to "police" it.

 

Actually BFT, nothing that exciting. When I deal with street level criminals you would be amazed at the stuff they post about themselves. Some will pose in pictures with dope, weapons etc. Some of the really smart ones that like little kids will post on their wall about some of their activities. That is about as exciting as it gets for me. lol As long as their are people there will be people that do the sort of stuff you are talking about, so, I think you are right about never being able to completely "police" it. Interestingly enough, I am on an internet crimes against children task force and I could tell you stories. This is the only place and time I have ever discussed my livelyhood on here. Not that people can't see this but I wouldn't do it in the more viewed threads!

 

You know what's funny is that I remember a few months ago you said we would all be surprised if we knew what you did for a living. I would have never thought you were a cop though. I figured you were like some kind of consultant for a pro team or something. LOL. That's cool that you have a job like that and I'm VERY sure you see some really messed up stuff. My buddy is a jailer that has to interview the people that get arrested for processing and he hears some crazy stuff all the time. There was actually a VERY BRUTAL murder here in Knoxville in 07 and he had to interview the guys that did it. It was called the "Christian/Newsom" murders and it was these 3 black guys and a black girl that car jacked a white teenage girl and boy and held them captive for days and beat and tortured and raped and mutilated them. When they found the guy he was in a trash bag in pieces and his body had been set on fire and dumped by some railroad tracks. When they found the girl she was still in the house in a trash can and they had raped her and forced her to give oral sex and to hide the evidence they actually poured drain-o down her throat! My buddy said when he interviewed them it was all he could do to not jump across the table and just beat them to death. I'm sure you probably feel the same way from time to time. If I had to talk to a child molester I don't think I would be able to contain myself honestly.

 

It can be tough. It is really difficult to maintain your composure when children are involved. Some people have no idea the impact their actions have on children. My job probably makes my personality easier to understand lol. I have teachers from high school that cringe when they learn what I do for a living. I don't have the typical "officer" persona about me but I do love the job!

 

Yeah I think in a lot of ways it would be a fun job. I go to church with a guy who's a detective for the city of Knoxville and he has some humdinger stories for SURE! The funniest one that he told me was that he went in to serve a warrant on a guy and the dude making crack ON A GEORGE FOREMAN GRILL! Who even knew there was a market for crackheads?! But I guess those grills really CAN do everything! LOL! His wife works for the FBI and she said before she started working for them that she was for the death penalty but once she realized the prison system took more care of the death row people she decided she would rather someone get life because she thought the death penalty made it too easy on them. She hasn't changed my mind but would you back up the assertion that the guys on death row actually have it easier?

 

I'm a terrible person to answer that question BFT. I flip-flop on this worse than a politician. What I really believe is that it should be up to the victim's families. I have never had a family or someone close to me murdered, so, it is very hard for me to put myself in their shoes or say what should be right for that family. Besides, I think they should live with the choice they make. Another reason I flip-flop is because I weigh cost of life in prison versus the death penalty. I'm told it cost more to put someone to death then let them rott in prison for life. I don't understand how this can be. If I was pinned down to an answer I would have to say that I feel life in prison would be more punishment than the death penalty, though. So, yes, I guess I would back her up on that, if I was pinned down to an answer.

 

I think the reason it costs more though is because of how long they sit in there awaiting appeal. One of my best friends that I've know since we were 5 grew up in a house where a brutal BRUUUUTAL murder occurred and that was in 1985 when we were like 3 years old. A mother and daughter were both brutally raped and murdered there and the father couldn't stand the thought of living there so he sold the house to my buddy's mom which he had basically raised. Well both guys were given death and one died in prison of cancer and the other one just like a year and a half ago underwent his last appeal and then Gov Haslam said he couldn't get clemency. So after almost 30 years he is FINALLY gonna get his sentence! That's RIDICULOUS! HOW in the WORLD could it take this long after the dude was swiftly convicted all those years ago? That's just a huge problem with the system. When Lincoln was killed by Booth all of his conspirators were dead or in jail within 3 months of the crime. Now we have to keep people alive for some reason. So basically it's almost like "death" is actually "life". Go figure. LOL.

 

That is a good point BFT. I wonder the same thing, often, when it takes so long for simple crimes to find their way into court. Sometimes, by the time I am called for court I have forgotten that I had anything to do with the person.

 

Man I'll tell you something funny since you were talking about stupid criminals. My mamaw was renting one of her houses to this girl that turned out to be a drug dealer and I was furious because she was too stupid to do a background check which would have found out that this girl had a rap sheet like Dilinger. But this girl had an ex boyfriend and they would fight all the time and one night I looked out the window and saw them in the driveway and she was kicking the crap out of his car so I called the law to come over here and was hoping they'd get put in jail. So when they got here they took HIM to jail for violating a restraining order and a week or so later they subpoenaed me because I witnessed it. So I had to take a whole day off from work to go testify. So when I got there the guy was in the courtroom and the next thing I know he's getting arrested IN THE COURTHOUSE because the very day of court he violated the order again by sending her a message saying that he would give her some really good pills if he wouldn't testify against her! So I had to miss a day's work to sit and watch one pill head after another get slapped on the wrist but this guy actually wound up getting a years worth of weekends for his crimes. But I just wondered how stupid that guy must have been to violate an order on the DAY of his trial! LOL.

 

Love that scene. You know, when I was trying to come up with an avatar I was looking for something really clever. I'm a huge Bradshaw fan, by the way. Anyhow, I came across this avatar that was neither clever or flattering to Bradshaw but, somehow, it just seemed like me. BFT, getting called into court as a witness sucks. Often, the kind of people that witness crimes are people that around that kind of stuff and, of course, they are reluctant to come forward because they know how bad court sucks. You get racked across the coals just because you saw something. Even worse, it is often the cases you are sure wont go to court that end up in court and take the longest to resolve. I had a case that was tried 3 times because two jurys were hung-up over fingernail clippings, crazy!

 

I understand your dad's frustration. My son has been around this stuff a few times. Only problem is that, often, he says he wants to be a cop and I'm like, "Noooooo!".