Betty' brings it on'.

[Kephas4]

So, Betty Fullerton's blackberry is being bombarded with threatening messages? Really? This must be that 'Burra Mafia' we've heard so much.

Obviously, we can but hope Mrs Fullerton has resisted the moral high ground and not deleted these nasty little missives. If these appalling threats are as bad as the Shetland Times reported, she has a good case for harrassment charges. Any kind of emessage can easily be traced back to source - which those who like an electronic equivalent to a poison pen would do well to bear in mind.

If Betty has actually been threatened she has every right to go to the Northern Constabulary. If on the other hand, some of the voting public have expressed disappointment in the actions of an elected representative, she shouldn't publicly proclaim that as a challenge to them.

So, will she be trotting across the road to the Police Station to do file charges for harrassement? Or will she stop, think, and for God's sake learn something about tact and diplomacy.

[MuckleJoannie]

If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen.

[daveh]

So, is it deemed to be amusing if threatening messages are sent to someone?

[jz]

^^

 

I think Kephas4 is suggesting that the messages were not in fact threatening, but communications from an electorate that was unhappy with the voting record of one of their elected representatives.

 

We cannot judge how obnoxious the emails were as (quite rightly) they have not been published. If Mrs Fullerton wanted to she could contact the police to report "harassment".

 

Elected representatives should surely represent the people in their ward. It seems likely that she has not done so recently in an issue that is of importance to the residents of Burra and Scalloway.

[Kephas4]

So, is it deemed to be amusing if threatening messages are sent to someone?

 

Absolutely not - that's why I make the point that Betty has every right to report those messages, pressing charges if she so desired.

 

I am, however, sceptical about the level of 'threat'. If someone were to say something along the lines of 'we're disappointed and won't be voting for you again' - that's not threatening, that's a statement of opinion. If someone were to make some kind of intention about physical or mental violence, that would be a threat.

[daveh]

Thanks for that.

 

She should definitely report any messages that she considers to be of a threatening nature.

[Njugle]

I think it could be deduced, perhaps in a speculative sense, that if the threats were of a sinister nature we wouldn't have heard about it. I'd guess that it is threat of non-election. A threat, by any other name. Burra folk are, as a generalisation, quite forthright in their approach.

[crofter]

She said one threat was that she was "finished" if she didn't vote in favour of keeping the school open.

 

I took this to mean finished politically, and will be surprised if she is not.