IP: "It's the Thought That Counts"

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

>                              "REALITY RESET"
>
>                       http://www.vortex.com/reality
>
>                                    by
>
>                   Lauren Weinstein (lauren () vortex com)
>
>                         = = = = = = = = = = = = =
>
>                               July 15, 2001
>
>                              Today's Edition:
>
>                       "It's the Thought That Counts"
>
>                 http://www.vortex.com/reality/2001-07-15
>
>                         = = = = = = = = = = = = =
>
>
>  "It's the Thought That Counts" (July 15, 2001)
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
> Harvey Specks was bubbling over with enthusiasm when he called.  He was
> talking so loudly that I had to keep pulling the handset away from
> my ear.
>
> "Ever since I became a prosecutor twenty years ago, I've been waiting for an
> opportunity like this!  Finally I think we're going to be able to clean up
> this country and lock up all the scumbags where they belong!" said Harvey.
>
> "Wow, that sounds pretty exciting, Harvey.  What's the story?" I asked.
>
> "OK, now stay with me on this.  One of the big limitations of law
> enforcement has always been that you can only arrest people for what
> they do, not for what they might *think* about doing."
>
> "Well, naturally," I said, "You can't know what people are thinking.
> And even if you could know, it's criminal actions that can be
> prosecuted, not thoughts."
>
> "Ah!  That's where you're dead wrong, Lauren!  We may not be able
> to extract people's thoughts yet, but we can easily *infer* their
> thoughts from what they write down," said Harvey.
>
> "You mean like if somebody writes in their personal diary that they'd
> like to go out at night and sabotage those robot traffic cameras at
> intersections, you think you could find a way to prosecute them just for
> those writings?"
>
> "That's the plan!"
>
> "But I don't see how you can ..."
>
> "Lauren, new ground is being broken in the prosecution of thought crimes
> every day.  We've already arrested kids who wrote fiction stories that had
> violent content."
>
> "That's true, but ..."
>
> "And you've heard about the guy in Ohio who was on probation for possession
> of nasty pictures of children, who was just convicted for writing fictional
> stories in his journal about doing terrible things to kids?"
>
> "I heard the stories were pretty horrific.  Who'd he give them
> to anyway?" I asked.
>
> "Nobody!  They were just his own made-up stories for himself.  His probation
> officer found them during a routine search of the house.  But remember what
> I said before, it's the *thought* that really matters.  The prosecutor there
> said that the case was a breakthrough in prosecutions, and I couldn't agree
> more!"  said Harvey.
>
> "Well, maybe since he was on probation, that makes a difference ..."
>
> "No, no -- it shouldn't make any difference at all, Lauren.  We need to
> apply the same rules to *everyone*, and we need to go after everybody who
> thinks inappropriately in any way about anything criminal.  And you can't
> limit it to cases involving the abuse of children, either.  Right now anyone
> could write a story in their diary about all sorts of other murder, mayhem,
> and traffic violations, but nobody could touch them.  That's a loophole we've
> got to close," said Harvey.
>
> "Doesn't that run the risk of branding most of the population as crooks or
> perverts in one way or another, just for their own personal thoughts and
> writings?"
>
> "Let the chips fall where they may, Lauren," said Harvey.  "And by using
> these prosecutions as a form of preventative detention, we'll make
> things cleaner, safer, and more wholesome for the law-abiding
> citizens who keep impure thoughts out of their minds.  And if we
> simply force people to pay fines for more minor thought crimes, the
> revenue potentials are enormous!"
>
> "Well, Harvey, I must admit that you've hit upon an approach that
> could really change things."
>
> "I certainly hope so, Lauren.  But I could really use some help getting the
> word out about these terrific possibilities -- would you be willing to write
> up something about all this for me?" asked Harvey.
>
> "I'll think about it," I replied.
>
> = = = = = =
>
> --Lauren--
> Lauren Weinstein
> lauren () vortex com
>
> For information about the author, please see:
> http://www.vortex.com/lauren
>
> = = = = = = = = = = = = =
>
> Copyright 2001 by Vortex Technology.  All rights reserved.
> This item may be freely redistributed so long as it is complete
> and includes this notice.



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