When Social Media Users Hulk Up!

[Paul Keith]

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff sparked controversy on Twitter yesterday. Mr. Shurtleff tweeted just after midnight last night to inform his followers that he had just given the go-ahead for convicted murderer Lee Gardner’s death by firing squad. While I’ve come across a few tweets (via a search on Twitter) showing support, the overwhelming majority of people are speaking out against what they feel is a “disgusting” use of Twitter.

Normally I'm not one for editing an article's title but since I already did this for a topic in my forum, I felt I already broke that issue.

Is There Too Much Information on Twitter?

from: Chris Pirillo

[40hz]

This would be my tweet to Mark Shurtleff (if I used Twitter):

Bravo Mr.Shurtleff!
Your self-serving posturing has earned you a very minor footnote in internet history.
You should feel proud.   (126 chars)

[Renegade]

Meh. I don't see the point in getting upset. The guy just signed someone's death warrant, so I'd just write it off as him trying to reconcile his conscience in some way. But actually having politicians tweet things on their own might be a good thing.

@40Hz - (shameless plug) -- My little Twittle Twiddle Tweeter makes tweeting easier. (I'd never use Twitter otherwise.)

[Deozaan]

I dunno. It just seems... not the thing you announce to the world. Taking someone's life (even indirectly, such as by giving the go ahead to do it) is a serious a solemn thing, even if that person "deserved" it. I don't think it belongs on Twitter, where it feels like:

"just executed a criminal. feelin mighty hungry. wares my sammich? lol!"

If he needs to reconcile his conscious in such a public manner, he probably ought to get a different job. It's not like he's the judge, jury, and executioner. He's just the guy who tells the firing squad to fire after the criminal's death has already been determined by others.

I think this sums it up really well:

Yes, the “public” would have read about this in the newspaper, or watched a clip about the execution on their evening news. With 140 characters, though, it’s difficult to express any type of sentiment or meaning behind one’s words. The AG simply stated that he approved the execution at that time. People will read any number of things into his message. Unless you were standing with Mr. Shurtleff at the time he sent the tweet, it’s likely you have no idea how he “felt” about it.

[Renegade]

True. It is pretty tacky/tasteless. I suppose I'm just rather apathetic. It's pretty bad when you're killing people anyways, so how much worse can the situation be? Being tasteless about it doesn't change the fact that you're about to kill someone. Dunno. Maybe I'm just too apathetic. It just seems like complaining about a scratch in the car paint when it doesn't have an engine or wheels. Y'know, there's an elephant in the room type of deal?

[tomos]

True. It is pretty tacky/tasteless. I suppose I'm just rather apathetic. It's pretty bad when you're killing people anyways, so how much worse can the situation be? Being tasteless about it doesn't change the fact that you're about to kill someone. Dunno. Maybe I'm just too apathetic. It just seems like complaining about a scratch in the car paint when it doesn't have an engine or wheels. Y'know, there's an elephant in the room type of deal?

-Renegade (June 19, 2010, 10:50 PM)

+1

ironically the tweet could now be applied to Mark Shurtleff himself:
"May God grant him the mercy he denied his victims"

[daddydave]

He's making a factual statement. And "May God grant him the mercy he denied his victims" seems like a reasonable thing to say, and something he might have said in real life. Not sure what the big deal is. Except if people have objections to the death penalty itself, it is understood that they don't want to be reminded that the death penalty exists, and I guess people are reacting to that.

[daddydave]

ironically the tweet could now be applied to Mark Shurtleff himself:
"May God grant him the mercy he denied his victims"

-tomos (June 20, 2010, 07:49 AM)

Yeah, it's not like there was a trial or anything. It was all Mark, seeking out his victim vigilante style.

EDIT: Sorry for the sarcasm. To clarify, it is just really hard to see the reaction to the tweet as anything more than the a reaction to the act itself.

[tomos]

ironically the tweet could now be applied to Mark Shurtleff himself:
"May God grant him the mercy he denied his victims"

-tomos (June 20, 2010, 07:49 AM)

Yeah, it's not like there was a trial or anything. It was all Mark, seeking out his victim vigilante style.

-daddydave (June 20, 2010, 08:36 AM)

I think you make a fair point daddydave, but I did not say that ("It was all Mark, seeking out his victim vigilante style") nor did I imply it in any way.
Likewise I think my point is still valid (whether you support the death penalty or not - and I have no interest in debating that aspect of it)

[daddydave]

(whether you support the death penalty or not - and I have no interest in debating that aspect of it)

-tomos (June 20, 2010, 08:44 AM)

Me either. I was just trying to figure out why people were reacting so strongly.  

[tomos]

EDIT: Sorry for the sarcasm. To clarify, it is just really hard to see the reaction to the tweet as anything more than the a reaction to the act itself.

-daddydave (June 20, 2010, 08:36 AM)

my interpretation:
The normal procedure would be to keep the whole process very formal. This distances people from the reality of what's happening. A tweet OTOH makes it something much more real - you start thinking about the reality of what is happening.
From a 'supporting the death penalty' point of view, the guy was foolish to make that tweet.
From an 'against the death penalty' point of view, as said above, he really brought it all home. I think that's why the reaction is so strong.

[daddydave]

The normal procedure would be to keep the whole process very formal. This distances people from the reality of what's happening

-tomos (June 20, 2010, 09:01 AM)

I guess that's the part I was ignorant of. I figured the tweet is the same kind of information that would be in the newspaper the next day, it's just we're getting it firsthand. It's not really news I follow that closely though, so I guess I ass-umed.

[tomos]

of course I forgot about the biggest group - those who might be ambiguous about it: be they supporters - maybe people who think they have no choice (supporting out of fear of what society could be like without it), or religious people who have the 'thou shalt not kill' commandment in mind; or be they people who simply haven't thought about it much.
They all would be upset I imagine about the casualness & presumptuousness of the tweet (presumptuous of approval & agreement) and for the reasons I mentioned above: basically, that it has confronted them with the reality of it all

[Renegade]

basically, that it has confronted them with the reality of it all

You got me thinking a bit, and it occurred to me that people might be upset in part because the guilt is theirs as well, as they are the ones that voted to get that guy in power, and the ones ultimately responsible for the legislation in their state where the death penalty is. i.e. The blood is on THEIR hands as well. It might not be at the forefront of anyone's mind, but at some level, people in democracies know that they are (ir)responsible for the legislation. A kind of background, nagging feeling of guilt... Then again that could all just be total drivel. Just a thought anyways.