Calling the commenter a “boot licker” is an accurate critique of a pro-authority sycophant that has the virtue of brevity.
We’re adults having a discussion. And it breaks HN Guidelines; “be nice” and “reply to the argument instead of calling names” [1].
Even my own comment, by continuing this conversation serves in rhetorical, political, and philosophic capacities; many of which I don't intend but are implicit to how the medium is presented
We aren’t on many forums. We’re here. I wouldn’t think twice about that comment on e.g. Reddit. But that’s why I’m no longer there. The people who go into “loud public arguments” and win often had an adult discussion before. That an increasing fraction of world chooses to only engage in the former is creating problems and the necessity of moving important debates, including political debates, away from them.
In this case I genuinely believe the post was borderline criminal and grossly irresponsible given the situation the world was in on March 20, 2020.
You could rewrite this as "Not criminal". So you agree, the arrest was illegal. Great!
I would put it in the 0.001-0.00001% possibility. If you fear the mentally ill and make policy choices on that fear, you would necessarily have to ban free speech to mitigate such low risk.