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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWe are assessing Trump's behavior all wrong
When I say "we", I mean the American public, the voters and especially the media. Innocent until proven guilty is only the standard for incarceration. So is the standard of "reasonable doubt" and a "unanimous verdict". Depriving someone of their freedom is a serious matter and all deference should be given to the accused.
Everything else is not subject to these rigorous standards. Let's look at some examples. If a contractor for the military is arrested on espionage charges, he is not arraigned the next day and then returned to work on sensitive material. We don't say "innocent until proven guilty; see you at work on Wednesday".
We don't look at a schoolteacher arrested for statutory rape and return him to the classroom awaiting the final adjudication of his charges.
We don't look at an indicted embezzler at a bank and say, "hey, let's not jump to conclusions. See you in the morning."
Of course not. Although each individual has all the protections under the law, they cannot be returned to their sensitive work awaiting a final verdict.
That's the standard that used to be applied to politicians. Anyone running for any office, let alone the Presidency of the United States, would need to clear his name before any voter would consider him. Trump, rather than trying to delay the cases against him, should be trying to get a speedy trial to prove his innocence so that voters could trust him. Instead, a civil rape conviction, fraud and all this criminal activity endears him to a substantial portion of American voters, maybe even enough to become the most powerful person in the world.
This is fucked up. Really, really fucked up
Rhiannon12866
(250,433 posts)EarnestPutz
(2,843 posts)Pototan
(3,000 posts)When a defendant takes the fifth in a criminal trial, there should be no inference of guilt to be assumed.
Yet, when that same defendant takes the fifth in a civil trial, in which no criminal charges are made and no incarceration is at stake, a juror can make an adverse inference of defendant's refusal to testify.
So, it would seem quite appropriate that, as a voter, I can make that same adverse determination when evaluating that person about whether or not to trust him with the Presidency.
elias7
(4,229 posts)Layzeebeaver
(2,156 posts)1) Stay out of court as long as possible (Delay, Delay, Delay...)
2) Use his circumstance to drive fund raising from poor idiots and stupid rich folks
3) Fuel doubts and despair about our judicial and justice systems
4) If convicted, stay out of jail as long as possible (because of #2)
5) If sentenced to jail, go do #2 as much as possible
6) Corrupt the elections systems at all costs - no matter who else gets taken down in the process ('Scorched earth' approach)
7) Self pardon during election acceptance speech (If elected)
8) Regardless of election outcome, continue efforts to destroy our Democracy, with priority on the judicial and justice systems (Justified because of #3)
9) Do more #2 always
10) When caught doing something else illegal, then goto #1
Wednesdays
(21,617 posts)TSF will pick up a few former Confederate states, and some states that Bartcop called "rocks and coyotes states." But little else.
Pototan
(3,000 posts)I pray you are correct.
malaise
(292,926 posts)Although given his history before 2016: he should never never have been allowed to run let alone become president
PCIntern
(27,980 posts)Big r and a k!
North Shore Chicago
(4,221 posts)and accurate observation!