I watch a lot of true crime shows - First 48, Live PD, COPS, etc. - and they all remind us that the people involved are innocent until proven guilty. Sometimes ad nauseum. Sometimes when you can see with you own eyes that the person under arrest did exactly what they're being charged with. Regardless, it is an important thing to remember.
Here in the USA, people are presumed innocent until PROVEN guilty.
Well, they were innocent until proven otherwise and were guilty when they were proven guilty. I'm not sure what's going on now.
Today, we have people who are being ruined by allegations of crime without proof. It's all very fucked up.
As for the recent witch hunt, you believe the allegations or you don't depending on what side of the fence you land on. Bill Cosby and Judge Moore vs Bill Clinton and Kevin Spacey? Who's the criminal? Where the proof? Hmm. Seems like there was proof in there for one of those...
But I digress.
Sure, I'm laughing my ass off over some of this stuff. I have to or I'll go nuts. And I can be pretty certain here in my own home that I am correct in my assumptions of who is guilty and who isn't. But I don't make public opinion. Nobody cares what I have to say on the subject - and they shouldn't, because it is just opinion. Opinion and conjecture is not proof. And I don't have anything to do with the criminal justice system. I just write about it. Which is something actual criminals should thank their lucky stars for, lemme tell ya.
So, before you jump on the bandwagon - at least publicly* - remember that this is still America and we still presume someone is innocent until proof shows otherwise beyond a reasonable doubt. Which basically means I can't point at you and say you stole my Ferrari** and have the police come and lock you up on my say-so. This 'innocent until proven guilty' thing protects us all.
Remember it and hold it tight, folks, because the next round of pointing fingers could be directed at you.
* What you say and think in your own private places is nobody's business. Have at it.
** I do not now nor have I ever nor will I ever own a Ferrari. I'd someday like to have enough money to eschew the purchase of a Ferrari, though.
Some of the allegations coming to light are so well known with that Left Coast community that no one is surprised--but no one wanted to speak out and looked the other way until it became a big deal. I'm Old Skool Legal System. Show me the proof, baby. And pointing fingers for political gain? GAH! I just threw up in my mouth a little.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I can admit it's happened to me. One time, it was a well-known judicial figure sitting next to me at a luncheon. I leaned over and whispered in his ear that if he didn't remove his hand from my upper thigh, I would cut it off and feed it to him. He took one startled look at my face and played nice the rest of his visit. I reported the incident to my judge the first opportunity. See? I took care of it even though there might have been backlash. People don't get to do that shit.
I almost posted during the whole #metoo twitter thing but figured I'd get trolled because I'm heterosexual and in both instances of physical and verbal attack/abuse, the perpetrators were gay. In the physical attack, she was a lesbian. In the verbal, it was a gay couple I happened to work for. *shrug* I dealt with both at the time.
And if you ever get that Ferrari? We are sooooo going on a road trip! Just sayin'... ;)