Raj Feridun wrote:

> What court of law will convict a dead person?

Irrelevant. Hitler, suicide hijackers (if any) and the boys of Columbine have not had a chance
to properly defend themselves the way you say is required before labeling someone a criminal.

> >Is it all right to decide and declare people are criminals without the chance to "properly
> >defend themselves", or not?
>
> It's alright for individuals to think any way about anything they
> like. That's freedom.

Freedom of thought is guaranteed by the Japanese Constitution for Japanese citizens. Is it
guaranteed for foreigners or those who live in the US?

You also claimed I cannot label people criminals without them having a proper chance to defend
themselves, but you apparently can. Why so?

> >Then why do you tell me not to label people criminals (unless my concept of criminal such
> >as Hitler or suicide hijacker, agrees with yours)?
>
> Because I am as free to do so as you are to label.

Ah. So you were being that simple. Then the answer to you saying I can't (while you can) label
people criminals without them having the chance to properly defend themselves, is "That's
bullshit."

> >> I'm confident I could defend myself against false accusations
>
> >Then you who are so concerned about false rape allegations (or was it necojeff) should pray
> >you are never accused of rape, even in the US.
>
> I am thankful, for the thousandth time, and I do hope I never face
> such a nightmare.

Then you should not be so confident in your ability to defend yourself if "such a nightmare"
happens. Japanese I know are also confident until something befalls them. One man went so far
as to say he wanted a gun (illegal of course) after his house was ransacked during a trip. It
was I who tried to dissuade him.

> >> and for my part I do my best to stay "clean".
>
> >That's you. What of most men who are not as clean living as you, who might make the stupid
> >yet common decision to have casual sex with a woman, and could legally (that is, under the
> >current system) be convicted of rape or other assault on what would amount to her
> >allegation alone, even years later?
>
> I said I do my best.

"That's you." "What of most men who are not as clean living as you," who can easily be
victimized by the system AS IT EXISTS, NOT because of human imperfection, but because that is
how the system has set it up?

> >Naturally, I will never support most of their views or actions, but their concerns are
> >PERFECTLY valid:
>
> >http://www.accused.com/
> >http://www.accused.com/overview/rape.html
>
> Interesting.

And as far as I can see, true.

What should be done about this tragedy?

The only thing I disagree with are their figures for false accusation, and their agenda. They
are not interested in balance, or also improving the system to apprehend the real criminals who
give the falsely accused a bad name, they are only interested in defending people against
charges of abuse or rape.

I concern myself with real criminals and victims, but those same improvements to know what
really happened, would also serve to protect the falsely and mistakenly accused and prevent it
all in the first place.

> No, I don't get it. Your system seemed to be one step above a police
> state. That's not my bag.

If we had a system to know what really happened, people wouldn't be falsely or mistakenly
accused, either. It's that simple.

Woman: "He raped me!"
Cop: "No, lady, he did not. Here is the conclusive evidence that at the time of the incident
you claim, he was sleeping in his own home. We also see that you were also sleeping in your own
home at the time of the incident you claim. Were you mistaken in any of the details, or are you
telling a lie?"

"I'd like to withdraw my report."

Man: "I don't know what you're talking about!"
Cop: "Here, sir, is the evidence that it was indeed you who purchased an unregistered firearm
without a license, and used said firearm at the time in question to rob that bank. In addition
to bank surveillance cameras, here is evidence of you putting on the hat and sunglasses before
entering. Please observe no one else inside or outside was so dressed. And here are the clothes
you discarded, found at the place you discarded them, with your DNA on them."

"I'd like to call my lawyer and plead guilty."

Why can't you see that?