r/FreeLuigi 1d ago

Discussion TikTok ban and LM: why this case stirs something up in me

https://youtube.com/shorts/OkblZaQeNbA?si=Yw7zFh7ekhpVSTWK

This case, combined with the growing talk of a TikTok ban, has stirred a latent sense of unease in me—a feeling that something is deeply wrong and that it’s creeping closer to home.

I come from one of the safest and most stable countries in the world. In my homeland, citizens are cared for, almost free healthcare, injustices are swiftly addressed, and our justice system prioritizes rehabilitation over punishment.

despite this comfort, I can’t shake the fear that the inequalities and systemic failures I observe abroad are slowly seeping into my own country. First They Came by Pastor Martin Niemöller constantly echoes: injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere.

America, a land of extremes, fascinates and terrifies me in equal measure. It’s a place of multiculturalism, innovation, and possibility—but also of poverty, addiction, systemic oppression, and a legal system riddled with wrongful convictions. Could it be a country that embodies both the best and worst of humanity. The contrast make it impossible for me to look away from this country.

When I first heard about the CEO’s murder, my reaction wasn’t shock… but a quiet amazement. If I am allowed to say. It seemed like a rare moment where frustration and anger were aimed at the powerful rather than the powerless.

Later LM entered the story and reminded me of myself—someone who thinks, questions, and has spent hours trying to make sense of our unjust world. Philosophers and questioners like him have always existed, trying to defy the status quo. That’s at least what I think make him relatable and universal.

But quickly this turned into a nightmare. He’s being slapped with terrorism charges, paraded like a trophy in perp walks, and vilified by corrupt politicians and media. The media coverage is also overwhelming and distorted, while the «evidence» doesn’t even seem to add up and it’s just very confusing. The system seem to not be seeking the truth; it’s grinding him down, and crushing him as a warning to others who… dare to question authority.

For me, this isn’t about LM personally, or as a alleged criminal, or some overall fascination with crime—it’s about how power treats those who challenge it. It’s about the danger of allowing authority go about unchecked.

Without TikTok, I wouldn’t even know this case existed. The platform has brought this story to light, I belive it is uniting people who see the injustice and care enough to speak up. If TikTok is silenced, how many more stories like this will go untold and will it get as much attention? Maybe it would’ve been better for LM? I don’t know.

And this brings me to another question: What is democracy? Is it simply a label—a binary concept where a country either has it or doesn’t? Or is it more like a scale, where justice by law and fairness are measures of how democratic a society truly is? I belive democracy is an ideal that exists on a spectrum, one that requires constant vigilance and effort to protect and strengthen.

For me, the conversations on Reddit, TikTok and other platforms show that people are watching, questioning, and refusing to accept injustice. This gives me hope

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u/california_raesin 1d ago

Well, TikTok is definitely not the only platform to learn about this....I for one don't use it at all, and it's still endlessly in my news feed on other social media.I haven't personally seen any content shared on other platforms from TikTok that I think adds much to the discussion, but that's neither here nor there. I personally think TikTok does far more harm than good in the world, but I don't really support banning it because that feels like something from a totalitarian country

As far as the unease...yeah. Just imagine how it feels here in the US. This has woken a lot of people up from the weird numb place we have been in as a country post-Covid, and people are looking around saying Wait a Second, what's happened to our country? It's honestly amazing to see, but quite frankly it scares the hell out of me, because there's a lot of misery ahead for us. If people do get to the point of some sort of revolution as they become more fed up, the results will be horrific. But then watching the way the government is responding to this case is pretty much just watching the truth of where our country is heading - the mask is off and it's pretty scary stuff. And when America blows it's top, it absolutely will impact the rest of the world.

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u/MysteriousLime7959 23h ago

Yea we do have other platforms! but TikTok is what truly drew me into this case... Its short, fast-paced videos and community support kept me engaged in a way no true crime show or any other news platform has. It made me dig deeper on Reddit and YouTube. I love the discussions there. though I unfortunately find that Reddits feed grow stale, and YouTube demands more focus. It doesn’t keep me engaged. TikTok’s quick, impactful content is unmatched when used appropriately. I might be very Gen Z.

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u/justobella 20h ago

Well said. I also think a lot about how the internet and social media allows us to communicate and organize, yet it is simultaneously the property of the powerful…very precarious. I wonder if my friends and family around me realize just how precarious the information flow is.