[Artemisia] Re: Background Checks

[rayzentz at aim.com]

Kuro said...
 
<snip> Yes, I have seen the squeeling 
about statutory rape can be slapped on anyone and it doesn't make them a 
criminal. Wrong. It does. They chose not to abide by the laws of the land. Does 
it equate to Justice? Can't tell you but a bit of intelligence and forthought on 
their part would have prevented it I am sure.<snip
   
 
 

Lord Kuro, thanks for intruducing yourself.   I don't think we've met.   I am Padruig, and from the southern part of the kingdom.   Most of what you said I agree with.   The portion a quoted above, however, is precisely the kind of thing that concerns me.
 
Like it or not, in my opinion, you are incorrect.   Your reasoning, measured against another issue, say, speeding, means that every person who has ever gotten a speeding ticket, because they violated the laws of the land, are criminals.  "intelligence and forthought on their part would have prevented it i am sure"
 
Legally, perhaps, you may be correct.
 
Morally, you may be on very shakey ground.
 
This topic is a very emotionally charged one, and as Morgan so aptly pointed out earlier, it should be.   and it is quite apparant that there are strong opinions here, since this topic has seen the most action on the Aerie since Arrows' Flight introduced their own forum... ;-)
 
However, and seriously, judging others is something that must be very cautiously done.   I am always cautious when my children are involved, and the children of others whom I may or may not know personally.   I am also cautious when it comes to labeling others with a "title" that may not be appropriate, or correct.   Our entire criminal system, with all the problems it has, is based on the premises that one is innocent until proven guilty..., and that it is better that a guilty man go free than an innocent man be wrongfully imprisoned.   I would not want to live anywhere where those two ideas were not the case.
 
Again, I, as a father, am not opposed to checks.   I am concerned, however, with the potential for misuse of those same checks.   Assure me that that potential is gone, and I am firmly, 100%, in favor of checks.
 
Padruig McTavish
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