A Simple Apology

Calls for "trolling" laws and jail time for offenders have emerged from the twitter media-frenzy that dominated our news channels for weeks. Originating from an offensive tweet that particularly hit a nerve with @MsCharlotteD (Charlotte Dawson), the debate was perpetuated by Ms Dawson's hospitalisation following this

and reinvigorated by a highly offensive tweet sent @robbiefarah about his mother that recently passed away. (If you've missed it, Ms Dawson's more complex story is summed up well by David Mark on ABC Radio)

Since, revelations of pots-calling-kettles-black have continued the coverage after Robbie Farah's own twit-history, albeit deleted,  came to light in this tweet recovered by a social media expert;

(One of the internets scarier capabilities, of which we've only seen the beginning)

By no means do I condone offensive words being slung accross cyberspace, but I think a balance between sense and persecution needs to be found. Robbie Farah who, as it's come to light, has been on both the giving and receiving end of offensive tweets has found it. He brings sense and clarity back into the argument, and says it well in his public apology.

 "As you are aware I have been vocal in recent days about criticising those who say some pretty disgraceful things through social media and I have appreciated your support in relation to that cause."

"In the course of this I have been alerted to a ‘tweet’ I made last year in relation to the Prime Minister which was in hindsight clearly offensive.

"At the time I did think about what I had done and removed the ‘tweet’ soon after posting it but that of course doesn’t repair the damage.

"I make no excuse and offer my sincere apologies. I can only say that I have learnt a lot in recent days and I hope that everyone in the community can learn about the pain that we can cause through such comments.

Let's just use some common sense people. I don't have the answer, but Australians have only ever been persecuted for exercising defamation, not a sharp tongue or their mean personalities. While these people may not be nice, in my eyes, they're not breaking the law and they never should be.