Taunting gone wrong

> While there it too much acceptance of bullying instead of civil behavior in our community I don't think we should allow our fight against it to destroy our sense of humor.

I think that describes the whole misconception. Just like some people who claim freedom of speech for their personal attacks.

Being _funny_ at the expense of others is not nice. If someone has a real sense of humor, they can safely work on any self-deprecating funny material.

Apparently, the _death threat_ against Lennart Poettering was a comment on IRC about _hiring a hitman_ because that person was annoyed about something. It is quite possible that that person was "being funny".
Just like it is _funny_ when some people shout "I'll kill you" when they are being cut off on the road while driving. Obviously, then do not really mean to kill anyone. However, it's up to interpretation whether those were just venting their frustration or it was an actual death threat.

With some social intelligence, it's possible to feel when someone is overstepping the lines. For those who have trouble realizing those boundaries, they can check-in at a main airport while singing "bomb bomb bomb" over a tune of their choice.