From: lockhart@kscdl1.ksc.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Re: Locarno's actions (spoiler 1st duty)
Date: 13 Apr 92 19:42:05 GMT
Article-I.D.: kscdl1.1992Apr13.144205.1
Organization: NASA, Kennedy Space Center, FL

Amos Yung         
yung@r-node.gts.org 
writes:

{STUFF DELETED}
>Had Picard told the admiral the truth, Locarno *will* lie. He said so        
>himself. Besides, the *intention* of lying and misleading is the same.
>Punishment (in our society) punishes the action, not the intention, but
>judgement (as what we are doing now) should include intention.

Yes, but I lie all the time to get out of trouble.  As I've gotten older,
I've learned to lie in such a way so as to not get caught. ("No, honey,
I just had to work late...") Does that make it right?  No.  Does that 
make it realistic?  Yes.  But if we punished everyone who told lies, the
court dockets would be filled to overflowing!  And as for misleading and
lying being the same, go talk to a criminal defense lawyer and ask him
how he defends a patently guilty client.  Or are you saying that only the
innocent deserve a defense?
 
>As for your scenerio, I don't see much difference whether the victim was
>innocent or not. A dead man, innocent or not, will stay dead. No punishment
>will change that fact. Should the responsible parties claim the 
>responsibility and recieve the corresponding consequence? I say yes, for
>no other reason that maintaing law and order. You seem to be implying
>a calculation of net worth: What will be more profitable: the offendant
>be set free or stay in jail? This is not my idea of justice.

Intentions *should* count for something, though.  In a case where Locarno
et.al. decided something like "Let's get rid of that sniveling rat Josh
and here's how...", we're talking out and out murder.  In a case where,
(as this seemed to be, otherwise Weasley would've narced from the outset)
some little snot-nosed academy hotshots opted to show off, we're talking
poor judgement.  As I said, Josh knew from the outset what the risks were,
and so I don't think the others should be punished for Josh's FU.  A much
worse scenario would've been if Nova Squadron's FU had caused the deaths
of innocent bystanders.  If you examine the risks of being a bystander,
you don't think death is going to enter into it.  It's got nothing to do 
with net worth.  It's tragic when *anyone* dies, but if you know the
risks and are willing to take a chance anyway, I think it's part of your
personal choice.

{STUFF DELETED}
>It is the attitude of "what good will  that do?" that I found uncomfortable.

And I still maintain "what good will that do?"  In my innocent, immature
youth, I screwed up plenty, and sometimes in a major way.  By your standards,
I'd be rotting in San Quentin now. ;-)

>Actually, no. Wesely and StarFleet doesn't matter that much to me because
>they are only part of a TV show.

Yes, but art imitates life, eh? :-)
-- 
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 |                     $ @disclaimer opinions are mine                        |
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 | Susy Lockhart            |  " I like to think big.  If you're going to     |
 | EG & G Florida           |    be thinking anyway, you might as well        |
 | Kennedy Space Center     |    think big."                 Donald Trump     |
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 |                  email:  lockhart@kscdl3.ksc.nasa.gov                      |
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