Should it be illegal to be a moron? That’s the question we really need to be asking ourselves in the wake of the arrest of a man in Scotland over a vile tweet about the death of Captain Tom Moore, the Second World War veteran who became a national treasure in 2020 for his NHS fundraising.
Police Scotland has confirmed that a 35-year-old man has been charged ‘in connection with communication offences’. What it is he actually said wasn’t made clear. But a subsequent report, and much online chatter, points to this delightful post: ‘The only good Brit soldier is a deed one, burn auld fella, buuuuurn.’
That the post was offensive – and the person who posted it an idiot – goes without saying. But far more alarming than this single tweet, or the psychology of the individual responsible for it, is the fact it led to an arrest. In a free society, you should be free to say objectionable things, even about someone as loved as Captain Tom.
The idea that the internet is some Wild West now is patently untrue
The tweet could hardly be said to be threatening, harassing or inciting violence against its target, given Moore has already died.
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