Re: DIPLOMACY: Memetic Morphing

Michael Lorrey (retroman@together.net)
Tue, 17 Nov 1998 08:46:15 -0500

Scott Badger wrote:

> Mike Lorrey said:
> >Did you know that sneezing causes permanent brain damage? If this is so,
> why are
> >there no laws punishing people who give other people their colds, flus, and
> >pneumonias? How about holding parents responsible for giving their children
> >predispositions for allergies? C'mon, people pull your heads out.....
> >
> >Mike Lorrey
>
> Excuse me? I was referring to people who have an *intent to harm* and you
> counter with examples that are innocuous, incidental, or unintentional? I
> have
> read and enjoyed your posts and know that you can make a more rational
> argument than that if you really think my head is up....
>
> A better example might have been, what about a person who dumps their
> partner cause they're mad at them and this throws the partner into a deep
> depression? Harm was intended and harm was done. Is it the perpetrators
> fault? or was the partner predisposed? You'd probably never figure this
> one out.
>
> I'm not sure where the line should be drawn, but I don't think that adults
> who
> maliciously inflict emotional abuse which results in brain damage to
> children
> should be considered non-criminals simply because you can't see the
> bruise.
>

Reckless endangerment and parental negligence are as much real crimes as assault and battery. You cannot be outraged about instances of one without being outraged at instances of the others. In fact, there are plenty of cases on the books where mere reckless behavior on the part of parents is considered to be child abuse.

Mike Lorrey