please don't tell my children

When I took the labels off the pillows, too!!!

"Enquiring minds want to know!"

but I was young and everybody did it.

)

The sort of thing where a fellow sits behind a screen at a brothel with a view of the bed.

If you want anybody to show you theirs, you are going to have to show yours....

You have a true gift for language that I both envy and admire.

*grin*

But I'd say the commission of that crime was its own punishment.

Good times. Malt liquor. Mess you up fast.

back to the question in the O.P why yes and no .

Does that make me a potential rampage killer?

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT (emphasized so I don't get blocked again) it does make you, and me, and countless other DUers, criminals.

There are traffic violations, civil infractions, misdemeanors and felonies- just to name a few. However, a traffic violation such as speeding no way equates criminally to a felony such as murder. If one were to ask if I were a criminal, I can honestly say no, I have no criminal record. Ask me about my driving record and I'd have to say I have had a ticket or three over the course of my life.

nearly everyone has at some point broken a law. Jaywalking, speeding, spitting in public, public fornication ; ) however breaking a law does not necessarily make you a criminal in the legal sense. An arrest and conviction needs to have occurred to identify someone as a 'criminal'.

If you take a strict dictionary definition and not a legal one, and wish to parse words, and offend people, then you might be correct.

A criminal is a criminal.
One who commits crimes is a criminal.

A convicted criminal is a convicted criminal.
One who has been convicted of a crime is a convicted criminal.

You're then not then using legal definitions in discussing the law, but rather contemporary definitions to discuss the law. I can see the convenience in that...

I too would rationalize the two standards are the same if I needed to justify a position I could not justify. Well, I would if I were less honest than I am...

But, we can all safely presume that if an idiot is unaware that legal definitions are germain to a discussion of the law, his idiocy lies with him and him alone.

Good luck!!!

crime - /krīm/Noun

1.) An action or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law.
2.) Illegal activities: "the victims of crime".

criminal - a person who has committed a crime.

"An action or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law" says nothing that an arrest needs to have occurred.

My goal is a healthy discussion on this topic - I contend those offended (no offense to you, personally) might wish to ask themselves why.

nothing that's going to land me in jail or result in any type of criminal conviction.

i also drive an old volvo with all its lights. however, speeding in colorado does not become a criminal offense until you're going more than 25 miles an hour over the posted limit and the most i might hit is ten. as far as pot goes, everything under an ounce and paraphernalia has been a petty offense for longer than i can remember. hell, the fine for underage smoking was higher than petty possession. doesn't matter, at least for the time being, because it's legal here now.

But they all become criminals sooner or later, sometimes without realizing it.

violations of traffic ordinances or smoking a joint.

Good grief.

Is it willfull?

Second offense marijuana possession in any amount is a FELONY, punishable by 2 to 10 years in state prison.

has probably gone one or at least five miles per hour over the speed limit at SOME point in their driving history. Whether they actually have gotten a speeding ticket or not. I notice when I am driving that many people seem unaware that state law in this (and probably many other states) requires them to turn their headlights on when their windshield wipers are in use.

Of course, the only reason that I know this is because when I was driving to my grandmother's house entering Lewis County, NY there was a sign at the county border which said "State law: headlights are required when wipers are in use". Which I found to be a very strange sign to put up at a county border.

My guess is that there was a Lewis County sheriff who loved to give out tickets for that, and after the fiftieth case where the citizen said "I never heard of this law" a judge ordered him to put up some signs. "welcome to Lewis County, if it rains, you may be compelled to make a contribution to the county budget if you are not careful."

But is "breaking the law" really no different than "being a convicted felon"?

There is a difference between breaking the law, traffic tickets for instance, or shop lifting, or getting busted for pot, but when you commit a felony like armed robbery or assault or murder, then it's time for scrutiny.

I think his goes far beyond the safety ratings for a red herring, and becomes a... purple trout?

But, I was fleet of foot then and outran the cops who wanted to break my skull.

i think all my illegalities are misdemeanor quality

i do support allowing felons to vote and think its really unfair when we dont allow them to vote as voting is not crime related.

however guns are crime related, so allowing felons to buy guns is just practically stupid.

although as with most things gun related, i just dont care that much

Trying to help. You insulted me! I believe that you knew that from the onset!

My premise is everyone has broken the law, and I stand with that premise.

The question is, "Anyone out there who's never broken the law?" Twenty-four replies thus far and not one "no."

Feel free to join in the debate.

I am licensed to carry a concealed weapon.
I can travel freely into Canada.

Now do you see exactly who you insulted.



You Owe Me An Apology!

Thank you.

Maybe we should distinguish between violent felons and non-violent felons, but in general, felons shouldn't own guns. To dismiss felonies with "everyone has gone over the speed limit" is silly. What felony did you commit, if felonies are no big deal?

edited to add: I have no problem with drug users with no history of violence not being lumped with with other felons, but I think the right way to handle that would to stop making drug possession a felony.

but that's it.

But nothing came of it.

Since merely possessing those drugs is a felony.

all it takes is one hit of acid. Ridiculous.

And I don't like many of them!

It is virtually impossible to exist for long without committing a crime of some kind. I don't think everyone can possibly be aware of all the laws, even lawyers.

But I never touched nothin' that my spirit couldn't kill...

I never got caught.

(4 years sober now)

I was stopped by a cop once after I had been drinking. I sprayed some perfume into my mouth, and when he asked if I had been drinking, I said no. Luckily, I got out of that one.

felons by definition are persons convicted of things like rape, murder, manslaughter, first-degree assault, grand larceny, armed robbery, and so on. We aren't talking about speeding, or drunk and disorderly, or misdemeanor drug possession. The law in every US jurisdiction I know of strips convicted felons of many civil rights; they may not vote, are not liable for jury duty, may not be licensed in the professions (medicine, accountancy, the law), and are not eligible to obtain a passport. Given all of this, why should convicted felons being barred from owning firearms be a problem?

If the majority of the people in a state want felons and the insane to have guns I say why not.

I think it is a bad idea but I also don't live in a state that wants to let felons and the insane have guns either.

for a rolling right stop. Other than that, no, I haven't committed any crimes.

Minor in possession 20 + years ago (convicted)
Open intoxicant
Possession of weed
DUI
I've accidentally trespassed while hunting a few times
Driven my ATV on the road
Speeding
Operating left of center (convicted)
Operating on suspended license (convicted)
I've left my treestand on public property overnight
Ran a few stop signs/red lights
Hunted a few minutes too late


I'm sure there's many more, I'm tired of thinking.

...marijuana, of course, speeding, yep (but never ticketed, as I don't get all flamboyant about it - you know, weaving in and out of lanes, tailgating, all that).
But I was mugged once, so that balances it.

... what's your point?

Last edited Sat Mar 23, 2013, 12:08 AM - Edit history (1)

Wait, is lying against the law?

Of course, the states can write laws that are more strict than those for NICS.

Breaking the law isn't the issue.

Millions smoke pot. "USING" an illicit substance will also get you on the NICS. But it takes a conviction to get there, too.

So what's your point?

I work with non-violent felons coming out of the criminal justice system.

All they want to do is get on with their lives, but they have to deal with condescension, contempt, stigma, denial of food stamps, housing, jobs, loans, and much more. And they are being judged/snubbed/punished by a vast majority who have broken the law themselves but are loathe to admit it.

I have, more than once, listened to unconvicted drunk drivers, weed buyers, tax frauds, disability frauds, trespassers, thieves, voyeurs, road ragers, batterers, litterers, sex offenders - on and on ad nauseum - have a serious discussion about the merits of letting "the criminals" (anyone other than them) have this or that right back.

My goal was not to preach, condemn, or offend. I am not a religious man, but this is the best way I've heard it put:

"Let he without sin cast the first stone," not, "Let he without an equal or greater sin cast the first stone."

Or are you so dogmatic that you have become completely stupid!

Even those with no traffic tickets have still probably been speeding from time to time.

But that doesn't make everyone a "criminal." We could reserve that term for those who commit felonies, I suppose. There are people who deserve the term, whereas though the rest of us have broken a law at some point, we don't merit the term "criminal."

crime - /krīm/Noun

1.) An action or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law.
2.) Illegal activities: "the victims of crime".

criminal - a person who has committed a crime.

never realize it ... in the US it's very difficult not to break the law ... there are so many F'en laws. And, point in fact is congress, Many there sit on their fat asses contemplating more and more laws often with resulting duplicity. ... it's how they earn their keep!

Hell, in KS just being gay is against the law, you are automatically a criminal in the eyes of the law in the entire state of Kaaannnsas.

On the other hand I felt too guilty to take my mother's Cheratussin and mine had expired so I just suffered with my cough.

May have been physically possible a long time ago. May.