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| I was not aware that your MySpace message was authentic, and not a hoax. Now that your article's already published, I'm sure you don't want to give an attention-seeking, moral-free sicko like me any further coverage, but I thought I'd offer comment anyway. Besides, "if it bleeds, it leads", and I'm sure you can selectively quote and rearrange things to smear me in the mud and paint me out to be the next Adolf Hitler or something like that if it's a slow news day.
Yes, I am fully aware that my work has been condemned by some people, though not universally. I had received many messages of support from people who found it hilarious and agreed with me on the points I made in
succeeding videos, and all of them had high ratings. Even the original video, removed by YouTube for being "offensive", had an average rating of four stars.
However, since your article neglected to mention this, I've taken care to remove all of the positive comments I received, so that reality now corresponds to your piece, which was what I would consider to have been an Op-Ed piece, not a news article. But now that my YouTube account has been cleansed of all approval, leaving only condemning messages, you can breathe easy knowing that your article's accuracy is no longer in question.
Regarding my "defense" of the video, as your article put it, I was not trying to defend the video or its content, which I freely admit was tasteless. I was simply pointing out the hypocrisy of YouTube removing my video, which did not contain any pornographic, violent, or otherwise forbidden content according to their Terms of Service, while allowing for a multitude of comments to be left both on the video and my profile page which DID contain violent content.
For example, one user suggested that I "Deserve (my) Teeth Smashed Down (my) Throat And Head Bounced Off A Curb", another admitted that they did not actually know Mr. Leeson, but said "you deserve to die yourself," while someone claiming to have been a friend of the deceased said "watch your back. ur guna get a knife in it".
YouTube's Terms of Service claims "We encourage free speech and defend everyone's right to express unpopular points of view," which I'm sure we can all agree my now-deleted video qualifies as. They do not permit hate speech, which they define as "speech which attacks or demeans a group based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, and sexual orientation/gender identity," and I'm fairly certain I didn't do any of that. Other videos certainly referred to him as a "faggot" (and I don't believe they meant the kind you smoke), but mine did not.
The Terms of Service also state "There is zero tolerance for predatory behavior, stalking, threats, harassment, invading privacy, or the revealing of other members' personal information. Anyone caught doing these things may be permanently banned from YouTube."
No matter what you think of me (and don't worry, your article made it crystal clear), I'm sure you would agree that someone telling me to watch my back and that I would get a knife in it counts as a threat. So it's inaccurate to say I posted "another video about Sam Leeson", as he was tangential to the point I was trying to make, which was that YouTube were being quite hypocritical in removing a video that was simply in poor taste, while allowing plenty of incredibly vicious comments to remain.
Had they not removed the video, I would have gotten plenty of hate messages, plenty of supportive messages, and that would have been that. Eventually I would have moved on to the next silly thing to mock, and some people would think it was funny while some would not.
With all of that out of the way, now that I'm sure you are no longer bothering to read this tripe, I'll answer your questions (again, just in case you're having a slow news day):
Q: Why do you mock the death of a young man in Gloucestershire?
A: Because breaking taboos feels good. Any child knows how good it feels to do something you're not supposed to do. Why should I deny myself that pleasure simply because I've "grown up"? Expressing "disgusting", "reprehensible", "sick" ideas just for the heck of it is an incredibly liberating feeling that I've found helps keep me from letting the world drag me down. Although, as a completely selfish statement on how I view my own work, I prefer my piece on Hannah Bond, as it mocked the Daily Mail's ridiculous coverage rather than her death. I'd much rather be in the position of, say, mocking YOU for covering a silly little internet cartoon, but that's not how the cards were dealt this round.
Q: Is it appropriate to satirise the apparent suicide of a young boy?
A: Well, I don't think it's "apparent", as I've not read anything about any suspicion of foul play being involved. But youth suicide is obviously a major issue, and one that, clearly, people feel very strongly about. And I think that heavy issues deserve to be seen through the entire spectrum of human emotion. So yes, I think satire is appropriate, as is a solemn and heartfelt eulogy. I think sadness is an appropriate reaction, and I can understand being angry with Mr. Leeson for taking himself away from his friends and family. And, since just over a decade ago, someone I thought was an absolutely wonderful person committed suicide at 17, perhaps mocking one child's suicide is my way of dealing with my own grief that I was never able to fully express. Or maybe I'm just a sick bastard who ought to be locked in a padded cell. I'm not going to tell you how to interpret something.
Q: What message do you have for the family of Sam Leeson regarding the death of their son and your video contributions online about this tragic story?
A: That is between me and the Leeson family. I've asked someone who claimed to
be close to Sam when he was alive to try to get me in touch with them, if they are willing to talk with me. It is entirely their choice whether or not to publicly discuss whatever conversation may take place between them and me, and I would hope that they are left to make that decision in peace, rather than being harassed for answers. I will say this: I have been told that they have received threats from other Anonymous internet users, and that's not something I support or condone. Other "Anons" will call me a "moralfag" for that, so don't think I'm dodging any criticism by saying so.
Q: In your opinion what constitutes cyber bullying and what can be done to combat it?
A: I believe that "cyber bullying" is a ridiculous concept, as anything "cyber" is just words on a screen. It's ones and zeroes. It's nothing. You can close the window and turn the computer off. You can't do that to a real bully, when they're shoving you into a locker or spitting in your hair or punching you in the gut. I speak from experience, which I presume will give some satisfaction to my detractors. As far as "cyber bullying" is concerned, I think kids need to learn not to take the Internet so seriously, and definitely not to give out personal information on sites like MySpace or Bebo. There are far sicker people than me out there in "cyberspace". I'd say I rate fairly low on the scale of Internet Evils. If you were to compare the Internet to the Sea, I'm probably only a Jellyfish - and not even a Man-O-War. So if a tiny, jelly-like, stinging nuisance like me can bother someone, God help them if they ever encounter a Barracuda or a Great White.
Anyway, to wrap things up, since I've failed to take my own advice and treated something on the Internet like Serious Business and written far too much, I'd just like to mention that I have been in contact with a number of people from your community, and it would seem that a newspaper in the area was quick to publicize my now-deleted video, thus ensuring that the Leeson family were exposed to it, or at least informed of its existence, though not necessarily its actual content. And while I'm absolutely certain it was not your publication that did this, you may feel free to point out that I mentioned that "in an attempt to pass off blame on the media" or however you'd like to phrase it.
Cheers!
- David "imDavidwhoareyou" Failkips
p.s.: If you thought xBlackTearsOfSorrowx was a "sick twist", my latest video is sure to make you vomit. I'd advise you not watch it without a bucket or a plastic bag handy. That is, of course, assuming YouTube hasn't removed it or my entire account.
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