Troll Busters - Coming Soon To A City Near You

I know its New Year's Eve and it would be nice to reflect on the year and lessons learned, the variants acts of others, the tragedies of the past twelve months. But, I don't want to talk about that. I want to talk about TROLLS. Trolls live everywhere now a days, not just under bridges where they belong. Modern day trolls are those cowardly, snidely, weasel-like creatures who, under the protection of anonymity post such vile racist and sexist dribble that it makes your skin crawl. These creature are not normal people of average intelligence.  They are cowardly mean creatures who derive a perverse pleasure from anonymously harassing others. What sort of person is so vile as to harass others online seemingly without consequence?  Did their mothers routinely kick them as babies, where they chosen last for dodge ball, or are they merely the product of a noxious genetic mutation than makes them unloving and concomitantly unloveable?  Who knows?

My friend Tony of TKC is a staunch believer in the First Amendment and refuses to edit or delete Troll comments on his blog. I believe in the First Amendment, too. I am following Tony's lead and weathering the Troll storm, while realizing how pathetic and sad these people must be. However, not everyone reacts so passively to trolls. In Sweden there is a television program called Troll Hunters where a team of Internet investigators search and uncover trolls and ambush them in television interviews. When caught, some trolls resort to crying and bawling or trying to run away from the cameras. It seems that many trolls lack courage when faced with exposure. 

What would happen in this country if Troll Hunters  caught on?  Sure, we have the Bill of Rights, but free speech has its limits. In fact, in Missouri it is a crime to harass or threaten others online. I just read the statute, MO. Rev. Stat. Sections 565.090  and following. Mo. Criminal Harassment Statute Hmmmm.  Do you think these racist, sexist, despicable trolls would fare well in jail?  It's something to think about.