So I couldn’t resist and went to visit the twitter page @KILLZIMMERMAN and then wrote an e.mail to Twitter about it. I highlighted what I actually wrote and the response in orange:

************, Mar 30 03:12 am (PDT):

How can we help?: Offensive content

Reported user(s): @KILLZIMMERMAN

Offensive Tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/KillZimmerman/status/184666743157952512

How long ago did this begin?: 4 days.

How many times has this happened?: continually.

Blocked user(s): No

Description of problem:

i was looking on your “About” page and i see: Twitter for businesses, Twitter around the world, Twitter on the go, Twitter for SMS and Twitter in the community. i did not see Twitter for murder.

it also says, “And with just a Tweet, millions of people learn about or show their support for positive initiatives that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.”

is calling for the death of another included in “positive initiatives”?

do you support the murder of George Zimmerman?

please delete @KillZimmerman and all other accounts calling for his death.

*** * ********

Your full name: *** * ********

Twitter username: @************

Email address: ************************

Here is the response I received:

*********, Apr 01 04:02 pm (PDT):

Hello,

We understand that everyone has different levels of sensitivity towards content, and that you may feel uncomfortable with the posted content. However, Twitter provides a communication platform, and users may use our service to discuss controversial subject matter.

If a specific user is posting content that you disagree with or otherwise find offensive, we have provided you with the ability to block the user. For more information on blocking users, see: https://support.twitter.com/entries/117063

Twitter believes strongly in the importance of free speech and works to ensure that such speech is maximized. Limiting speech on Twitter (and other social communication tools) could result in the highly undesirable outcome of speech that is allowed offline being restricted online. We are strongly opposed to this, as this could cause issues with the practical expression of information.

If you believe the content or behavior you are reporting is prohibited in your local jurisdiction, please contact your local authorities so they can accurately assess the content or behavior for possible violations of local law. If Twitter is contacted directly by law enforcement, we can work with them and provide assistance for their investigation as well as guidance around possible approaches. You can point local law enforcement to our Law Enforcement Guidelines here: https://support.twitter.com/articles/41949.

Thank you,

@*********

Twitter Trust and Safety

My response and analysis to this, which i didn’t send back because I viewed it as a waste of time, follows:

I would not consider calling for someone’s murder merely “sensitive content” or even “controversial”. It’s plain evil.

“Twitter believes strongly in the importance of free speech and works to ensure that such speech is maximized.”

With freedom comes responsibility to maintain that freedom. If someone is abusing their freedom, something should be done.

“Limiting speech on Twitter (and other social communication tools) could result in the highly undesirable outcome of speech that is allowed offline being restricted online.”

Yeah, uh, not limiting abuses of free speech, in this case, could result in the highly undesirable outcome of death for George Zimmerman. What is more important?

“We are strongly opposed to this, as this could cause issues with the practical expression of information.”

I’m strongly opposed to murder.

“If you believe the content or behavior you are reporting is prohibited in your local jurisdiction, please contact your local authorities so they can accurately assess the content or behavior for possible violations of local law. If Twitter is contacted directly by law enforcement, we can work with them and provide assistance for their investigation as well as guidance around possible approaches. You can point local law enforcement to our Law Enforcement Guidelines here: https://support.twitter.com/articles/41949.”

What a cop-out response. Twitter doesn’t care and has no interest in taking responsibility for people calling for the murder of others in its name.

“Thank you,

@cbellarun

Twitter Trust and Safety”

I wonder if this person realizes their signature says trust and SAFETY?

So, what’s life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness all about? Have we forgotten that with freedom comes the responsibility to care for that freedom (rhetorical question)? Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are wonderful things. We have the right to pursue happiness as long as it doesn’t prohibit our right to liberty. We have the right to liberty as long as it doesn’t prohibit our right to life.

I would consider the right to life as trumping the idea of free speech.

Jon