From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Mon Jul 29 2002 - 03:57:50 MDT
Lee Corbin wrote:
> Maybe for nothing that *you* would consider a crime, but
> they broke the law. That's one completely objective and
> plain difference, so they are *not* "just like you and me".
>
If many of the laws on the books are plain wrong then that
someone broke them does not make them significantly different
than you or I. Every citizen in the US breaks several laws on
the books every single day. You cannot help but do so. There
was a study illustrating this a while back that I can't lay
hands on.
> Yes, you're right that a huge number of them, 55%, are in
> for what you and I agree should not be a crime: drug offense.
> And yes, a good first step is always to reduce the unnecessary
> exercise of government power by unnecessary laws!
>
Cool. Then how are people imprisoned on ridiculous charges not
like you or me except in the fact that they are in prision and
we are not?
>
>>Because of the way statistics are grouped, I can only say for sure that
>>at least 14.6 are there for something I would consider a crime.
>
>
> Wow! While I don't know what "D.C. Offenses" means (do you?),
> the rest are indeed crimes in my book. But as I said earlier,
> that doesn't matter so much as the fact that these individuals
> were convicted.
>
How is that relevant as to whether they are or not "like you and
me" for the purposes of this discussion?
> One of the sad legacies of the civil rights movement for black
> people was the prominent use of civil disobedience, and the
> predictable lack of understanding most people would have of it.
> I think it came to be misinterpreted by far too many of the
> unthinking that "it's okay to break a law that (you consider)
> wrong". Laws should be obeyed, right or wrong.
>
It is not only ok, it often amounts to a duty of a responsible
citizen. It most certainly is "ok" and I am shocked at the
notion that even quite wrong and inhuman laws should be obeyed.
If there is a law that you must turn in any people into AI that
you meet for reeducation would you obey such a law? If the law
was that you can only run Microsoft OS and only program in MS
languages would you obey? If the law was to turn in some group
of people and not sell to them or employ them, would you obey?
- samantha
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