Michelle Carter? Should she have been found guilty or not?

[luckynumbah7]

You might be interested in reading about the Milgram experiment. That said, humanity's predilection for obeying authority still rests with taking responsibility for your own actions. That doesn't change because someone in a suit told you to do something and you don't want to rock the boat.

Which has little to nothing to do with an asshole encouraging suicide to the mentally unstable, unless you're considering her an authority figure. Even if she could be considered one due to closeness of the previous relationship, her actions are her own.

 

[NotHardUp1]

Re: Michelle Carter Ruling vs. the Salem Witch Trials

I know that I was at a boardgamers' Meetup group on Thursday night at an IHOP. An astute, smart, and kind young engineer, father of four, was completely stunned to learn a Congressman had been shot. He is one of the new generation not watching any kind of news, and I think it hit him hard when he realized he was so out of touch.

 

[MakeDigitalLove]

Re: Michelle Carter Ruling vs. the Salem Witch Trials

Yes, true. I wasn't thinking of social media so much as the news media. Not fake news, but really not news either, just an endless stream of slanted sentiment that feeds the haters, both right and left.

Yea I know what you were taking about I just think social media only adds to aiding these people that does this on television.

I know that I was at a boardgamers' Meetup group on Thursday night at an IHOP. An astute, smart, and kind young engineer, father of four, was completely stunned to learn a Congressman had been shot. He is one of the new generation not watching any kind of news, and I think it hit him hard when he realized he was so out of touch.

I think for a separate thread this could be a good topic of discussion.

 

[mcbrion]

You might be interested in reading about the Milgram experiment. That said, humanity's predilection for obeying authority still rests with taking responsibility for your own actions. That doesn't change because someone in a suit told you to do something and you don't want to rock the boat.

Correct. State of awareness does count, of course.

 

[luckynumbah7]

Correct. State of awareness does count, of course.

There's actually been some debate of the validity of the experiment being 'cross-cultural' within an individual culture due to the participants' demographics. Unfortunately I can't seem to find the particulars on the information of said participants but considering the time period I'm betting it was largely full of people, probably mostly white guys*, who already had aspirations society encourages them to cling to. Disobeying authority figures in that instance would be more difficult than someone of a lower status doing so - it all depends on what you think you have to lose in the back of that tiny lizard brain combined with your own sense of perspective with a healthy dollop of fear in all cases. That bit has yet to be thoroughly investigated however. Why they thought they could do a blind study when the parameters obviously included relying on personal cultural history is beyond me. I think there would have been different results depending on the largeness of the study and participant variation.

* they did, of course, have similar studies in other countries with similar results. But since I know of no country where the 'lesser' are encouraged to participate holding the shocking button, particularly nigh on forty years ago, I'm also skeptical of their long-term usefulness for judging humanity as a whole' behavioral inclinations instead of the parts who're fearful of possibly being the ones stepped on and losing all that privilege. The results of the experiment failed to account for the mercy shown in real life; as such, the parameters were seriously flawed.

 

[luckynumbah7]

To be clear, preferably before someone jumps in crying 'not all white guys!' while a single, manly tear rolls down the cheek into his stubble - Providing that most of the participants were of similar demographics I highly doubt the gender, race or what-have-you would change the original outcome. To put it bluntly, when everyone's already in your category it's a bit of a contest socially speaking when one perceives there's trouble afoot. It no longer becomes 'your group you must defend', but moves swiftly onto "all I have to do is outrun the other guy."

 

[LeicsDom]

Why can the ruling not be that she bear the inscription "Killed Conrad" on her forehead, and a condition of her freedom be that she is forever to check in with probation that the tattoo remains? After all, she isn't so much a threat to the world in her unique crime. She is more a pariah who should forever live with what she did to that poor guy.

That would play right into her hands
Apparently her motivation was that she wanted sympathy as the poor girlfriend left behind

 

[zombiekiller]

First of all I have no opinion on this case.

What about online trolls that exploit vulnerable people everyday?

 

[NotHardUp1]

That would play right into her hands
Apparently her motivation was that she wanted sympathy as the poor girlfriend left behind

Really? You think she will evoke sympathy?

Try using a henna tattoo and emblazon "MURDERER" on your forehead and see how many doors it opens for you.

First of all I have no opinion on this case.

What about online trolls that exploit vulnerable people everyday?

Indeed. Will savagery continue to be unchecked?

It is usually brushed off as harmless, save for a few bruised feelings. Here is a case where the law viewed it as the cause of great harm, namely death.

 

[Alistair]

First of all I have no opinion on this case.

What about online trolls that exploit vulnerable people everyday?

School children and parents get charged with online bulling every day