Nothing like a properly frightened society - ready to run screaming like a well trained dog.

Meanwhile, "innovators" like Mosanto have been quietly poisoning your food, land, air and water, and who gives a damn? Nobody. Even Coca Cola has killed more than all terrorists combined via diabetes and obesity-related problems, but if it does not look like a threat, well, it's probably nothing.

Meanwhile - a bomb - whoooo, scary thought. And even though some of us were not there, we might at least talk about it, and psych ourselves up, so that we can panic properly next time. 

Better install more cameras, and increase NSA budget. And manufacture and sell more guns. Frightened people armed to the teeth often form safe societies to live in.  

This was Australia, not the USA.

Last time Pink toured here I was at that stadium to see her [it's Melbourne's concert arena and home to center court of the Australian Open Tennis].

....and the last time I was at Rod Laver it was to see Black Sabbath - a brilliant concert it was too...

We should save terrorism charges for people with actual intent to commit terrorism.

Reckless endangerment is a more appropriate categorization.

And yes, this kind of thing is frowned upon because it has resulted in deaths and injury.

Always blame someone else. Never take personal responsibility for obesity and its related problems like eating to excess and insufficient exercise.

Coca Cola did that. The person didn't overdo...no, never. The man from Coca Cola came to their houses, tied them up and put tubes down their throats while pouring bottle after bottle down. Poor victims!

Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for your own acts and demand others do the same. We might actually get a civil society that way.

Demand the same from politicians and go after them when they give companies a free pass to pollute (big campaign contributions = bribery). Take responsibility for the society you live in and demand others do the same.

last time I was at Rod Laver was for U2's Rattle and Hum tour concert....

I agree that we all must take responsibility for our actions.  Doc, I'm surprised at your short response.  Doesn't sound like you.  However, given the immense power and influence of 'public relations enhanced' advertising, magnified thru the almost totally pervasive media (mass and others), it has become more and more difficult for lone individuals to ignore the sirens' call.   The ants (individuals) in the 'free market place' have little chance to resist  the extremely well funded campaigns waged against them by the massive Giants in the 'free market' place.  These giant corporate behemoths have learned extremely effective propaganda, manipulation, and influencing techniques that 'bypass' the conscious attentiveness of most individuals.  Such scientifically based manipulation techniques would amaze Freud's brother (founder of the original 'Madison Ave mindset). His technological kin/descendents have taken manipulation via images, sounds, voice, etc., to an incredible degree of effectiveness. 

This same media is being used to systematically wage war on any competing organizations that might counter their profit making campaigns:  labor unions (ants attempting to get work together and get big enough to go 'toe to toe' with corporations); disparage 'big' government and push states rights, get everything done 'locally, 'get the gov't out of the way,' so no group ant-citizens (or political body) is big enough to challenge the giants.  Divide and conquer.  Yes, fat Americans are responsible for their choices.  Chinese people forced to use burning coal to heat their homes are responsible for the loss of 5 years off their life spans because they poison their home air with burning coal fumes.  Nothing happens in a vacuum, its all connected.  No, a gun was not put to the head of that 'consumer/profit center.'  But an army of savvy, full time advertisers, using techniques gleaned from 50 years of research by full time scientists, engineers, artists, and others, amplified by an almost 24 a day deluge did influence that individual.  Giants in the market place will continue to wage war on individuals. And a lone individual, unless a very exceptional person, stands little chance of shaking off all the influences of these giants. The blame belongs on a system that places short term profit above individual long term health.  Yes, Coca cola did not put a literal gun to the head of the obese person, so true.  But that giant corporatist behemoth, along with its co-conspirators, did place an info gun against that persons head, and its 'data' penetrated its target, in many cases, bypassing the target's conscious facilities.  Who is to blame?  How do we fix this?  Do we even have a right to interfere with the relationship between the giants and their ant size prey?  Do we want to interfere with with social Darwinism?  Should we let the giants consume the ants?

It'd be 'handy' if we just kept on topic.

Hint....Coca Cola has exactly diddly-squat to do with this issue/topic/thread.

Elana, my response had to do with rejection of Kamamura_CZ's abrogation and negation of personal responsibility for acts. That and only that. I agree completely with Jafo that Coca Cola is extraneous to the OP. It was not my example. 

The youth in the OP did something dangerous and criminal. He did it, not his daddy, mommy or Sigmund Freud. 

The responsibility lies with him, not his school, not the foods in his diet, not his church, political party nor Zodiac sign.

"He chose...poorly.", as the line goes.

My answers are becoming more laconic as I "grow older".

Here's my opinion on this, and I do want to say up front that at this stage if everything in the OP turns out to be true, an arrest has to happen.

First, going solely off the information provided, we don't know that he did that. I could much more easily see someone swiping someone's phone and sending tweets like that as a prank rather than going all the way there and tweeting pranks. Why even go if that's what you want to do? Also could have been high on something and freaking out, who knows. Who ever sent it was stupid and the prank was in very poor taste.

Second, if the kid had nothing on him and they had no other reason to believe he intended anything, I think charging him with terrorism is overkill. People are always more flamboyant on the internet, it shouldn't be taken more seriously then necessary. I said an arrest has to happen now, but I think that's because it has become a news/political story. I don't see terrorism without a weapon. Maybe some other criminal charge would make sense for the threats, but terrorism is ridiculous. Without question, he should have been immediately removed from the concert just as they did. I'm arguing about how he is charged after the fact when they clearly know it was a bad prank.

On the subject of scaring kids to teach them a lesson (or whatever), I disagree. I don't think kids have a lack of fear of ramifications when it comes to things like this. In fact I think there's too much fear. Everyone over reacts to hints of terrorism to such an extent that a kid might do something for that attention or the thrill of such fear. My opinion is that things like this, if valid, are evidence that terrorism is actually working. Don't let it.

Sure, what age? 3 year old yells it? 7? 11? 13? 16?

It was simple, plain ignorance of the ramifications of verbal content/choice.

Yes, he did do it...he said so to to the security/authorities.  He was picked out of the crowd by facial recognition agreeing that it was his photo on his twitter acc.

He was simply enthusiastic about going to enjoy the concert...quoting a line from a Pink song and not realising the wording he used implied 'criminal intent' in a crowded [vulnerable] venue.

Primarily the issue will be that he was actually present - in front of the stage, and not 'merely' texting or writing something on 'the net'.

Point is...it wasn't even 'a prank',  it was plain IGNORANCE.

I don't expect the charge of 'Terrorism' to be invalid in the circumstances....only the punishment is likely to be less.  Whether or not that results in a criminal record is what is going to affect him the most.  EG. he'd be prohibited from ever visiting the US, etc. in his lifetime.

It's a bit like diving into a water hole without first checking its depth.....seemed like a good idea at the time....only the resulting quadriplegia sucks a bit.

ok, I obviously dont know all the details of this story, but I do have to point out that if he got in trouble for quoting a singer from the concert he was in.... did they arrest Pink as well? how is it that the singer is allowed to say things he can't?

Now that I know he quoted a song lyric, I'm even more against this. It sounds like ignorance on the part of the security people.

However, your more recent post suggests this was outside the US. If that's the case, then I'll drop my arguments because I don't know the laws of other countries or have a sense of how to morally apply them.

Sith....the OP mentions 'Melbourne' and 'Rod Laver Arena' ...

The Laws will be essentially the same... however again, the reference to Pink's song was to do with 'bomb' [I don't know which song it was] but it's about context.... not about whether the performer can sing lyrics or not.

Incidentally...if Pink got up and said 'there's a bomb in the arena' she'd get her bum slapped equally as fast....

Little slapper's wishful thinkin' there

yeah, I dont know where those places are.

I don't really care about this thing you call 'music' either...

They should´ve investigated a bit further on it, people like that must have deeper related problems ( if you have to tweet about something like this "to make a joke"- that isn’t anything in the sense of sane )

either his cojones must have been producing too much testosterone so that his brain switched to Flintstone mode that night while he wrote it or he´d suffer from deep mental issues that need to be treated ASAP.

But I guess he did get a beaten by security.

Kudos to the person that found that tweet.

Why I think so ? If a normal Human reaches the age of 12-16 it can predict good from right 
example throwing an object against another object that travels into your direction will cause a higher impact/force ( bigger hole greater damage than if the object your throwing at is standing still or moving away) 

If the person was not having 1,2 ‰  or higher in his bloodstream the brain should be able to calculate this subliminally
Just like you know that sticking your hand into a loaded rat trap will hurt.

If anyone did a prank on him using his "smartphone whatsoever" - he should really consider to search for new real friends.
One more thing Sith didn’t consider someone without a weapon as potential terrorist - look into the news / a weapon can be everything and knowledge is one of "our" greatest weapons. 

A 'basic' education comes in handy....once you master the knack of breathing without the need for conscious effort.

Have you heard of tennis?

Did you know there are only 4 Open tennis championships referred to as the 'grand slam'?

Can you name which countries host them?

I'll eddykate....US Open, British Open, French Open, and Australian Open.

And where is the Australian Open held? - Melbourne..... in that Arena.

While we're at it....as you might not know what tennis is....Formula One? .... there's 18 races ....yep, one is in Melbourne.

Can't count to 4 wheels? No problemo.... how about MotoGP? - only 2 wheels ... again Melbourne [Phillip Island].

Still no good?   How about World Superbikes? [no, not the parochial US superbikes] - Melbourne.

Dunno what a wheel is?....OK, how about nags?  Thing called 'The Melbourne Cup' ..... strangely in Melbourne.....as 'big' as Ascot ......oh, wait....you dunno where Ascot is.

Perhaps you're in California....maybe somewhere where they have 'bushfires'.... guess where the strange-accented fire fighters come from [quite regularly, actually] - yep.... Melbourne.

How about 'ground zero' .... guess where the company comes from that did the cleanup....

I could go on....

Re music, however....I've heard some great artists there....you won't have heard of any of them I imagine....

Leonard Cohen.... Roger Waters.... Black Sabbath ... Pink Floyd ... Pink ... Evanescence ....

Rolo ...you clearly have missed the references.... but no, it wasn't a 'joke'...it was a badly worded moment of enthusiasm/anticipation.

There's no 'deeper related problems' other than a total lack of understanding of common sense...as to HOW A STATEMENT CAN BE INTERPRETED.

If he thought about it he would probably have gone "oops....that was bad choice of words"...but he's a 16 year old idiot without a grip on practical reality .... product of our times.

Jafo, I don't care about any of those other things you mentioned either; just like I'm sure you don't care about physics and calculus.

I'm not saying my stuff is better or that I've never heard of them... to each his own.

I'm sure I could've googled the city to figure out where it is, and I should have if I had thought it relevant. If there was only one Melbourne in the world, I probably would have.

I stand by my earlier viewpoint on what should have happened. You are welcome to disagree with me,  I'm sure plenty of people will. We used to have this thing called freedom of speech. No, I'm not saying you can say whatever you want, consequences be damned; just like I didn't say security should have bought him some iced tea and left him alone. What matters is intention.

Hell, there's a comedian who has a terrorist puppet character. What if someone thought one of his jokes was funny and tweeted it? If security picks up on it, yeah get him away from the stage and figure out if it's a real threat. No question. Charge him if it caused additional problems (like the whole crowd flipping out, or something), but charges that are proportional to the crime... terrorism is in a whole other league compared to what was done here. For example, say the crowd found out and panicked and a person got trampled and died. I would charge the guy with manslaughter at worst (would probably be a dozen charges altogether).