I have to see Trump's fat ass in the news every day, can we get a criminal complaint about how that is harassment to our fucking eyes?

Pay the tax.

And ears and brains

Sending anyone an AI generated picture of any kind of dick is 100% harassment...

Especially when the person you send it to doesn't even have your number.

Like, that's not exactly a hard line to draw, everyone should agree with that.

Countdown to the 5 million dollar settlement in 5…. 4… 3…..

I disagree. It's a first amendment thing, and this is a public figure? Was it crass? Absolutely. Should we start criminalizing people for calling out politicians even when it's crass? I don't think so.

the revolution will not be televised but...shrek dicks will be sent?

The Shrekvolution*

What do you mean not the onion? I have it on good authority ogres are like onions.

Ik this won't be a popular take because, as evidenced by this very comment section even, critical thinking isn't popular, but this is sexual harassment. Sending people porn non-consentually is sexual harassment. Yes, even when the person you're sexually harassing a piece of shit themselves, is that seriously a hard concept to grasp?? This dude is a piece of shit too if he thinks it's okay to send someone porn without consent.

EDIT: Harassment not assault.

Haven't read the article, but I'm wondering if this is the line Ted Cruz has drawn on Internet Comment Etiquette. If he still tweets at him.

Nobody coming off well in this story.

Did you read the linked article?

If so, could you be so kind as to speak to why you disagree with its unusually thorough and detailed legal analysis of the matter at hand?

The Shrek image may have been crude or vulgar. But in context, there is no serious argument Byrnes sent it to arouse anyone’s sexual interest, let alone that it satisfies the Miller test. Byrnes sent it to another adult, reportedly accompanied by political commentary describing Cirino as “Young Mussolini.” That’s protected political mockery, not obscenity.

Sexual harassment, not assault

Ha! People who can't tell morals from ethics will argue with lawyers and claim the lawyers are fake, all day. No one knows more than a YouTube grad!

Tired: tactics

Wired: Shrekdicks

What picture? Where is it? Does it even exist? Give us the link (please).

Wym?

Morally, I’m neutral about the act of sending the photo. It’s crass but was sent to a GOP politician, so big shrug.

Ethically, I think it violates the general principle of “don’t be a dick”, but see it as a nothingburger in the grand scheme of things.

Semantically, I don’t think it’s sexual (*in the sense of anyone getting their rocks off) in any way, shape, or form, nor credibly assault. I don’t think the photo as shown in the article is remotely distressing to anyone imaginable except a deeply-repressed GOP closet case.

Gross!

True, edited the original comment to reflect this.

They stink?

No, this is constitutionally protected political speech, as any court in the country will find when this winds up in front of them.

Sending people porn non-consentually is sexual harassment.

Questionable, but even granting that, public figures like politicians are a legally distinct kind of people who have to meet a much higher bar to claim communication is harassment, and this is a huge nothingburger. Larry Flynt is laughing from his grave.

Dicks are irrelevant. If you can genuinely look at the picture in that article and call it "porn" you're even weirder than the fascist piece of shit it was sent to mock.

It damn sure wouldn't meet any legal definition.

For someone who started off their diatribe by accusing everyone else of lacking critical thinking skills, you damn sure have t bothered to address any of the counterpoints or analysis anyone else has brought up. It's almost like you lack critical thinking skills and are just reacting to vibes.

spreading rape apologia whether you know it or not.

Kinda rich coming from someone whose definition of sexual assault is so broad (and thereby so cheapened) that it includes sending cartoon dicks to politicians.

Enough to make you cry.

Layers, like parfait

Feels like everyone should make all their avatars Shrek’s penis.

what the fuck

You are welcome

Sounds like the only his-assment the senator can handle fits in a 3.5 inch floppy dick drive.

Guys, this is not the place for dick pics, seriously...

they saute pretty nice in butter

i can't take an article or author serious when they argue shreenis is not titillating.

didn't you hear ted cruz is head of the internet shrek penis taskforce

Beging arrested for enjoying a succulent cartoon dick?

The Shrek image may have been crude or vulgar. But in context, there is no serious argument Byrnes sent it to arouse anyone’s sexual interest.

Speak for yourself!

Look, I didn't flash my dong to everyone in the train to arouse anyone's sexual interest so there's no serious argument it was obscene

Ok, well done, you may have just gone some way towards proving the guy's point. Ugh.

Ogres are like Onions, says Shrek to Donkey

So uhh.... Is it ya know... Big?

You know how this post is a link to an article?

Have you tried, I dunno... clicking it? And then scrolling down?

Generally, harassment is a course of conduct over a period of time, not a one-off. The bar for a one-off encounter being harassment of any kind is high, with good reason.

That reason, to me, is that any reasonable person should be robust enough that all but the most serious, malicious communication should be something they can shrug off without much ill effect if it's a single isolated message. Getting a picture of a wanking cartoon character and a disparaging message isn't going to be pleasant for most people, sure, but if that's it?

The logic behind punishment for sexual harassment is not - or should not - be any different from the logic behind punishment for non-sexual harassment; it should be proportional to the harm caused, and it should take the same standard of a "person of reasonable firmness" or whatever the legalese is.

Sorry mate, it was a joke

As a former columbus resident I'm gonna guess this is the rooster. Sounds up his alley.

Edit: ayy

The blogger, D.J. Byrnes, runs The Rooster political website.

Oh, it was too real :(