Political Discussions
Rapper Gets 2 Years for Cop-Killing Song - American Free Speech
Posted by neo1962 • 8/12/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: cops, Florida, for, Free, freedom, jail, jailed, kill, myspace, rap
A Florida rapper is sentenced to two years in prison for a song called ‘Kill Me a Cop’ that he produced as a teenager.
Authorities say 20-year-old Antavio Johnson raps about killing two Lakeland, Fla., police officers in the tune, which cops found on MySpace while surfing for gang-related activity.
Full article here: newsuncensored.blogspot.com/
What do you think of this? Has America no free-speech?
User Comments
-
I recently put a full story about our "lack of freedoms" in my blog..
full Article: itsjustmyownopinion.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html
titled: constitutional rights...you have the right to remain silent.
My point is exactly the same...we are losing our freedoms and when it comes to someone writing about our singing about something and then being charged????
Where is the crime?
Although I don't think the "race" card should be pulled into this either.
After investigating, the detective realized the rapper known as "T.O." was Johnson, who was in a Polk County jail at the time for violating his probation.
Polk Clerk of Courts records show Johnson is on probation for 2007 cocaine possession charges.
Maybe in the case...as none of us really know...this guy is a threat...color has nothing to do with it.
Should he be put away based on lyrics...NO-
I don't thik it's because he is an African American, I just think it's wrong for anyone, no matter the color, to be arrested for expressing themselves. If he really was serious about killing a cop, then yes, he should be arrested, but just singing about is self expression.
I listen to a band called Ministry who claim they will overthrow the government, but they can't really do that, but either way, will they be arrested? -
I don't know enough about this story to comment, Caspargirl, but on one thread you complain about Obama talking openly about drinking beer (www.blogcatalog.com/politics/discuss/entry/lets-have-a-beer-and-discuss-thi...), but here you support free speech rights to the point of advocating killing policemen? Huh.
-
-
I agree, I don't think it is due to him being African American...however the news is making it out to be this.
Makes you wonder why so many "preachers" in the past who have "killed" their followers weren't arrested then. They just spoke and people listened.
That is freedom of speech and yet it is becoming a "controlled" by the government speech.-
You know what I don't understand, Charles Manson's arrest.
While I am against the man, he never killed anyone, it was his followers. If they were stupid enough to do what he said, they can stay in jail, but Manson should not still be in prison after all these years. He needed counsuling or somthing.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a manson supporter or anything, I'm just making a point.
-
-
I hadn't read this but found an interesting discussion on this at The Volokh Conspiracy.
volokh.com/posts/1249343839.shtml-
That link is very helpful, both for the analysis and the fact that it now has the lyrics to said song.
> "My sense is that the specific reference to the two police
> officers would indeed make this into a potentially
> punishable threat, at least if it could be shown (had the
> case gone to trial) that the defendant had the purpose of
> threatening the police officers"
Makes sense, but I'm wondering about why the person in question pled no contest. Seems unusual for a case about speech.
-
-
Ridiculous to jail someone for song lyrics, poetry, painting or any other art.
On the other hand, less rap can't be a bad thing...-
Rap sucks (except Rage Agains The Machine,) but it's how some people express their emotions, and it is an art form. He shouldn't do jail time for that.
And about the Christian rapper thing, that's hilarious. Rap sucks, christian music sucks, so christian rap is the suckiest thing since Chris Crocker. -
He isn't doing time because he wrote a song. He is doing time because he put death threats at specifically named police officers in that song.
It would have been the same had he written those death threats in a letter. Had he done that, would you be saying he was being jailed for writing a letter? No. So you can't say he is in jail for his song. It is for the death threats in the song. -
Their are certain officers here in spokane that deserve the death penalty. But they are either still behind a desk, or are getting FEDERAL MONEY to pay for their PRIVATE defence attorneys. Clearly the system is broken, and civic minded (and perhaps even not-so-civic-minded people) ought to be able to say so without fear of imprisonment
-
-
In the story cited in the OP:
"The song announced: "Im’ma kill me a cop one day." It called out two specific officers by name, both of whom would be shot with a "glock" in the "dome" if they ever "get my timing wrong." The best part is not the snappy lyrics. If you Google this kid’s name, you’ll see that he’s a self-proclaimed Christian rapper."
From what I could tell, he was charged with what amounts to death threats. It is illegal to threaten to kill a police officer.-
It's illegal to threathen anyone. So thats nothing i'll contest.
And a christian rapper shouldn't he be waiting for someone else to pull the first trigger? -
On this we agree.
The song called out two specific officers by name.
-
-
and yet cops who murder in cold blood get a desk job
-
Take your anarchist pill this morning?
-
It's called living in Spokane
-
Add Your Comment
Login to leave a message.
