this post was submitted on 19 Dec 2023
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A Florida man has pleaded guilty in connection with threatening to kill a Supreme Court justice.

The guilty plea from 43-year-old Neal Brij Sidhwaney of Fernandina Beach stemmed from a call he made to a Supreme Court justice in July, the Justice Department said in a news release Monday.

He faces up to five years in federal prison on one count of transmitting an interstate threat. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Prosecutors said that Sidhwaney identified himself by name in an expletive-infused voicemail and repeatedly threatened to kill the Supreme Court justice, who is not named in court documents.

Sidhwaney warned that if the justice alerted deputy U.S. Marshals, he would talk to them and “come kill you anyway,” according to court documents, which did not indicate what prompted Sidhwaney to make the threat.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Is it??? Anyone calling public servants with death threats I'm gonna go ahead and disagree with

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

When the SC publishes ethical rules legalizing bribery, they’re inviting anyone with a sense of justice to take matters into their own hands.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

We need a Batman but unfortunately its because of billionaires that cause this. Could we crowd source one?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Shit take. Anyone calling in death threats is ethically bankrupt at the very least. What justice is there in murder?

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 year ago (2 children)

For legal purposes, this is only a joke.

It's really the only way for a normal person to effect the SC. They are given lifetime appointments, it doesn't say how long those lifetimes have to be.

Checks and balances, yo.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Many of you here need to grow up.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 5 months ago)
[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The Supreme Courts decision to gut abortion rights has threatened the lives of millions of women. I can see where someone would find justice there.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Im the last person to approve of SCOTUS. Does that mean I think it's ever right to call in death threats to like, anyone? Absolutely fucking not. I think it's truly insane that anyone here is entertaining this. Imagine (well, you don't really have to) the "other side" doing this shit. It would be reprehensible, just like this bullshit. Hell, for all we know it was a "liberal" justice getting threats and suddenly our opinion on this situation changes? Screw that.

Two wrongs and all that. Eye for an eye... surely there is some simple saying that makes this easy to understand

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I guess so, but I'm not seeing a ton of liberal policies that are causing harm to individual lives. I think that's where you are seeing a "double standard" appear.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

It's not just about the double standard, it's about right and wrong. If we abandon our morals at the first sign of adversity, then what do we stand for? How can I stand for democracy if I'm okay with the life being snuffed from those who disagree with me. That's not democracy. There is no room for political violence

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There's justice in ~~murdering~~ removing by any means dictators like the H guy, Stalin, Putin... What about their main advisors? Then what about the influential people who prop them up? The line is somewhere.

One could argue certain judges'/politicians' responses to COVID, Ukraine funding, women's healthcare, etc. are already costing far more lives than they are helping/saving.

Cynical leaders tie themselves to the alternate track and see how many bodies they can stack on the main line while daring someone to switch the trolley.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ah yes Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas. They will surely be remembered amongst the likes of Hitler. How many lives have you cost vs saved? Can you possibly know? Should I call in death threats to anyone I personally judge to have a negative effect on the world? Where do you draw the line? WHO gets to draw the line?

This is insanity

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't think we're there yet either but at the same time, if we were to get to that point, most people (including myself probably) would not recognize it without some painful hindsight. Don't be like the frog that doesn't notice the water approaching boiling point.

Besides, I'm not comparing our SC to murderous dictators of the past. I'm just refuting your assertion that threats and/or force are never the right option. When you follow the "what ifs" to their extremes it seems obvious that pacifism is not a universal good.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think it's extremely hard to justify violence other than in very clear cases of absolute self-preservation. I think the system needs to change and that the SC is anti-democratic. However, we are excusing/advocating for terrorism here. The aim is a policy change through violence or the threat thereof.

Fair enough - I figured you were drawing comparisons. Regardless in this case, I say, no matter which Justice this maniac was threatening, his actions are wrong. Period.

It's disheartening to read so many rabid comments from people who I otherwise probably agree with on most things. I usually see that kind of bloodthirstiness from a different kind of person.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (3 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

our founding fathers were very clearly A-OK with murder of "tyrants"

You'd be right to think that, what with the whole "Revolutionary War" thing, but it's interesting in that the whole reason we have impeachment is because of Benjamin Franklin's opposition to assassination:

https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/173296

“What was the practice before in cases where the chief magistrate rendered himself obnoxious? Why, recourse was had to assassination in which he was not only deprived of his life but of the opportunity of vindicating his character. It would be the best way therefore to provide in the Constitution for the regular punishment of the Executive where his misconduct should deserve it, and for his honorable acquittal when he should be unjustly accused."

Madison followed:

"It is indispensable that some provision be made for defending the community against incapacity, negligence, or perfidy of the chief magistrate. The limitation of the period of his service is not a sufficient security. He might lose his capacity after his appointment. He might pervert his administration into a scheme of peculation or oppression. He might betray his trust to foreign powers."

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The system is constantly changing. We have the power and tools to effect change, despite the recent backsliding. SCOTUS is corrupt, yes, but we should be trying to change it, not making fucking deranged phone calls threatening people's lives

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This comment was removed out of an abundance of caution, while I brought it to the other moderators for their thoughts. After a discussion, I agree that I acted in haste, and I truly am sorry.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I’m against the death penalty for two reasons. One, it’s surprising (and disturbing) how often “solved” cases turn out to be wrong, and convictions are overturned. Finding someone innocent does no good if they’ve already been executed.

Two (and I’m not proud of this one) if someone has done something worthy of the death penalty, I want them to suffer. Dying by quick, painless lethal injection is relatively easy. I want that asshole to spend decades in a cage, and not get an audience for their parting words.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Death row inmates are usually there for quite some time but, yeah, I agree with everything else you said. Capital punishment is just fucked up. Our whole prison system should be more about rehabilitation and protection of society from harmful criminals (that includes violent as well as white collar). Less about retribution. And deterrence pretty much doesn't work on the worst crimes.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Calling the current Supreme Court "public" servants is a stretch. 🤷‍♂️

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This guy would be advocating against killing Hitler in 1943 because he's a "public servant".

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Insane that you could even draw a slight comparison. Among other things I am a fucking anti-racist, anti-fascist, leftist. What an idiotic thing to say to me.

The second we live in a fascist dictatorship feel free to go all operation Valkyrie on our glorious leader Brett Kavanaugh but until then you're nothing but a keyboard warrior defending some psycho making death threat phone calls.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm merely repeating your logic and showing you how insane it is. You're welcome.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Insane that I'm not calling for the death of public officials and defending calling in death threats? Are you serious?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Back to my original comment showing the fault in your logic - you would have defended Hitler because he was a public official? Are you serious?

Just because someone is a public official, that doesn't make them some sort of angel who would never cause massive damage to everyone else because of their own fucked up and greedy desires.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You are comparing apples to oranges. You did the typical internet fallacy of comparing everything to Hitler. Brett Kavanaugh and his associates have yet to suggest we round up our Jewish friends and execute them en masse, so please tell me of the parallels.

You are making a false equivalence to bolster your trite nazi analogy. You pretend like I treat Hitler the same way I'd treat a senator or supreme court justice. It's false on its face.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's Godwin's law. It's not a fallacy, but good try.

Your logic was that it's never acceptable for a public servant to be threatened. I provided you with an example that showed your logic was faulty. You're unable to admit to your fault. You might want to re-examine your logic and look inward to see why you can't see when you're wrong.

Anyway, that's all the time I'm going to spend today to educate you. You'll probably just end up with the same mindset, "Hurr durr I'm always right!"

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I said nothing about specific fallacies, only that your argument is fallacious and you are appealing to the classic Hitler boogeyman. If you want specifics, you're currently using a straw man. The situation in Nazi Germany is incomparable to the present day United States. You are completely ignoring all of the context surrounding Hitler, particularly the fact that he wasn't just a "public servant" so much as he was a fascist dictator. The fact that he advocated for the eradication of an entire people. If a justice was a fascist dictator then I would absolutely support their timely death.

I engaged here specifically to keep an open mind and to challenge what I think. On this particular issue, I have yet to hear a convincing argument that the unwell individual making death threats to SCOTUS was justified. My point was and is that the actions this person took were wrong and unethical. I mean, this is further bolstered by the fact that the man clearly had a psychotic break. Am I correct in my understanding of your position?:

  • The death threat phone calls were justified and morally correct
  • Future death threats are justified
  • Future political violence in our current system is justified
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You did the typical internet fallacy

I said nothing about specific fallacies

Lol. You're not even intelligent enough to remember what you've written.

You also have 0 ability to admit to your mistakes. It's no wonder you're butthurt when someone shows you that your argument lacks any logic.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

You know that "fallacy" doesn't have to refer to a specific, logical fallacy, right? Now you're insulting my intelligence when I'm replying in earnest? You neglected to read past the first sentence of my comment, invoked Hitler, and are still defending the actions of a crazed individual who is calling in death threats to SCOTUS. Not only that, but you have laser focused on specific words in my comments, insulted me, and never even addressed the actual point. Ironic considering you're touting yourself to be the fallacy expert. Have a nice day and try not to call in any perfectly justified death threats!