Category Archives: Law and Crime
The Case Against Hate Speech Laws
Writing at AlterNet, Sean McElwee puts forth an argument for censoring online hate speech–particularly on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. McElwee says that, although “stricter regulation of Internet speech will not be popular”, it is “necessary.” McElwee claims that … Continue reading
Zimmerman Verdict Was Not a Failure of the System
Here’s what happened: George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. During the trial, he claimed self-defense. The State of Florida claimed it was murder. Since the burden of proof is on the State, prosecutors … Continue reading
George Zimmerman: Not Guilty, But Not Innocent Either
A jury in Florida has found George Zimmerman not guilty in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford (about 27 miles from Orlando), followed and subsequently fatally shot the teenager on the night of February … Continue reading
Convicting Miss Cleo: Psychics, Fraud and the Law
(Reading about this case from South Africa has inspired me to write this post. However, since I do not have enough information to take a position on the guilt or innocence of that particular defendant, I will address only theoretical … Continue reading
Lucifer the Light-Bearer 