From: Chris Russo (extropy@russo.org)
Date: Tue Dec 12 2000 - 11:09:50 MST
At 10:56 -0500 12/12/00, Michael S. Lorrey wrote:
>I could do some research, but off the top of my head there was a case
>across the river in White River Junction, VT just a couple months ago
>where a black police officer was called n_____ by a drunk woman he
>arrested for D&D. At the station he also pressed charges for a hate
>crime, and won in court over her innocent plea.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't being verbally insulting to a
police officer going to get you some kind of verbal assault charge
anyway, in most places? The hate crime part is just an add-on for
discrimination aggravated circumstances, right?
>The woman insisted she
>never used such language when sober and did not conciously intend to use
>that epithet. Given that drugs like alcohol act to suppress the ego and
>allow the id more liberties (i.e. reduces inhibitions) this is as close
>to a thought crime as I think it is possible to go.
Please please please don't in any remotely conceivable way imply that
people should have less responsibility for their actions after
they've *voluntarily* surrendered their rationality to mind-altering
substances.
The increasingly staunch Libertarian in me wants to be allowed to do
with my own body whatever I choose. I'll never be given that freedom
if others assume that I won't expect to be held responsible if I
abuse that freedom.
>Its tantamount to
>putting a right wing republican under the influence of sodium pentathol
>and asking them if they'd like to off Pres. Clinton if given the
>opportunity, then charging them with violation of federal law.
Forcibly taking away someone's rationality and then punishing them
for breaking the law under that coercion is light years away from
"tantamount" to the situation you described previously.
Regards,
Chris Russo
--
"If anyone can show me, and prove to me, that I am wrong in thought
or deed, I will gladly change. I seek the truth, which never yet
hurt anybody. It is only persistence in self-delusion and ignorance
which does harm."
-- Marcus Aurelius, MEDITATIONS, VI, 21
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