Bill Sornson said:Was the OP "run over"? I only skimmed the thread, but my impression was he
was struck by a side-view mirror and that caused him to crash. I get mad at
careless drivers, too, but I think the punishment should fit the offense.
The offense was "I don't care if you live or die, my car is bigger than
your bike therefore I own the road."
And does imprisoning someone for six to thirty months for
taking a television set from their neighbor's house sound like
it "fits the offense"? No. But we do it all the time.
I personally put a guy in jail two months ago because he
threatened a police officer by aiming his car at him. Nobody
was hit, nobody was hurt. The guy will be in jail for a minimum
of 18 years because of a 6-second moment of bad driving.
Does that punishment fit the crime?
Quoted message said:Is there any indication the driver did this deliberately?
Define "deliberately". When operating a motor vehicle, you're always
doing something deliberate. You have a duty to maintain full control
and full attentiveness. It is impossible not to see all around you
(despite
the ill-defined term "blind spot"😉. Something deliberate was going on
there, and the result was exactly what every driver is told will be the
result of doing something deliberate other than what you promised
you would do when you applied for your license.
Not to make this too sensationalistic, but imagine firing a gun on
a crowded street while looking at the radio or checking your
makeup in the mirror or looking over your shoulder to see if that
little dog was a terrier or a poodle.
Quoted message said:Yet you'd
recommend the OP lie in wait for the guy to leave his house and run him
over -- and not leave him able to ID anyone? (Your quote was: "Wait in
your car by his house, and when he comes out to get the paper, run HIS ass
over. Just don't leave him conscious enough to identify you." --Blair)
Yup. In the absence of a justice system willing to do justice,
justice is thine to exact. That's what that system leaves you.
Trying to avoid resorting to that is WHY
we here in this country have a justice system that is willing to do
justice (more often than most). People wiser than I (yes, there
have been a few) have recognized that justice is about balance.
That's where that "let the punishment fit the crime" thing comes
from. But clearly it's applied ineptly in both directions.
I don't get why much of the world doesn't understand it. They're
too busy rationalizing their assumption that they're too civilized
for justice, I guess.
Quoted message said:Horrible advice, and like Squid said it's not too bright to put it on
Usenet.
Why? Do you think it's illegal to tell someone in another country
that they have every right to compensation even if their country
hasn't recognized their right to compensation?
It's not even illegal in this country to say you want to assassinate
the President. Though there are plenty of people who have bought
into that myth. You may get a visit from the SS to ascertain the
chances you're actually going to carry it out, but they're within
their rights to ask anyone any question they want to ask. And
you're within yours to refuse to answer.
Quoted message said:Out. BS
Interesting signoff.
--Blair
"Mine's only a little less susceptible to malapropism."
