![]() |
[Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
After an incident where a player of Call of Duty called the SWAT team on someone who beat him in the game in a practice known as "swatting", I want to discuss the ethicality of this practice beyond mad cuz bad.
Obviously it's a waste of time and resources on the part of those that have been deployed, but is there any chance that this sort of griefing could be outlawed? I mean, bogus pizza deliveries were one thing, but this is serious business of the highest order. So serious that I actually spelled it out. Washington State has already drafted a bill as of 2011 to make the practice illegal after someone tried to swat an XBL mod in Sammamish. The specific charge would be "harassing a 911 operator." Now, do you think that legislators should work to make sure this is punishable by law, or do they have more important things to do? |
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
There's a cost to deploying emergency services, I think the people stupid enough to make these calls should be held accountable.
If you consider that "debatable" then I can only assume you (the taxpayer) would rather pay for their insolence first-hand. This is actually illegal in a number of countries I'm surprised the US are only just now "working to make sure this is punishable by law" ~~It's already illegal in a few states; In California you can face fines of up to $1,000, six months in jail, or both and in Virginia you can face fines of up to $2,500. In fact, in Virginia it's illegal to make false reports of emergencies or disasters by telephone to anyone - public or private - not just the 911 lines. |
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
Of course it should be. Don't play games with people's lives.
|
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
This is kind of a stupid question... You are wasting resources and time... Of course it should be illegal and if done, the person should face repercussions.
|
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
I was kinda sorta hoping some jackass would come in and be like "what about overcrowded prisons hurr durr"
|
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
Quote:
But then again rending it to community service is a laughable punishment. It's like applying forum bans to real life. So the question is less about "should there be laws against it" and more of "what sort of punishment fits the crime and isn't as harmful to the community as a crime is." |
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
Wow just place a gigantic fine on who ever does it. ezpz. Isn't that what you get for wasting 911's time?
|
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
Sending someone in jail for such a low offense is really dumb. Paying a high enough fine seems the way to go.
|
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
Quote:
|
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
That should be a case-to-case thing. Obviously, in this second example, the offense is worth a higher punishment because of its consequences.
|
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
What ever happened to critical thinking rules
|
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
Quote:
And that certainty is "there is a probability I'll prevent SWAT to intervene the most efficiently on something very serious", you're responsible for the heavy risk it brings, and that alone is an huge mistake you have to pay for. |
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
Quote:
Tying up something as serious as a SWAT team for a false report done for nothing approaching a reasonable purpose is something that should, in my opinion, include jail time or at least something leaving them with a permanent criminal record. |
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
Why is it not already illegal everywhere to call in fake emergencies with bad intentions?
|
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
Quote:
|
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
Just want to reiterate once again the difference between jail and prison here guys because prisons ARE overcrowded and should only house the most serious of offenders (rape, murder, armed robbery etc)
I think a fine should suffice unless the extremely unlikely scenario dev presented occurs which I think either time in county jail and/or probationary terms should apply. The moral of this story is, that's what you get for getting into a game as shitty as call of duty. Your shitty taste or lack thereof cause such a disconnected sense of reality that you act like a complete ass and lose all credibility as a person of value. |
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
I'm not a great fan of incarceration either. This is a very tricky matter, especially when you condider how repressive they actually are and how little they contribute to making you a better person. But just getting a fine for taking risks that can put lives on the line doesn't seem to sound right either, the only thing I want for somebody that commits that kind of thing is to make sure he'll never do it again and realize how grave his actions were.
|
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
The fact that this has been done enough times that it has been dubbed "swatting" is upsetting to me.
|
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
I don't really think this is a debate.
Not a single person in this thread has said Swatting shouldn't be outlawed. The only disagreements have come in reguards to the punishment for doing it. |
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
Quote:
Like in the creationism vs evolution debate thread, virtually nobody of rational mind that contributes to these discussions believes that creationism holds any merit whatsoever, and yet we were discussing about how different points in the debate are disputed, rather than the different implications and mechanisms behind the belief socially, psychologically, etc. But that's just my opinion. |
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
Stargroup basically hit the nail on the head. I wasn't trying to discuss the issue itself, but rather the finer points thereof.
I'd be against jail time for swatters myself if only because they'll never survive in there. |
Re: [Debate] Should "swatting" be outlawed?
Quote:
|
| All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:27 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2021, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright FlashFlashRevolution