Letters to the Editor
stackey-dackey
Published Letters: 324 Editor's Choice: 8
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Dropping th eball.
[Read the article: The MySpace mom's prosecution threatens us all]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I seriously doubt the local officials "dropped the ball" when trying to prosecute this in criminal court. Every article I've read about this case has said the mom didn't break the law. I think there has probably been an extreme amount of pressure on everyone in the prosecutors office to find some way to get this woman. Morally, it was wrong. Viscerally, we want her to be punished. However, Manjoo is correct. Saying that she broke the terms of a civil contract and using that to try her in criminal court just seems a bit dodgy. Also, how much time can she get for violating a terms of use contract? A contract you don't even sign, which isn't notarized, so the signature can't really be proven anyway?
I've always wondered how enforceable those sort of online contracts (with no signature attached to it) could be anyway. I think they are in place more to justify the companies behavior if they kick you off of the website than for litigation purposes. How could you prove it was even her who 1) clicked on the terms of service? She could have left the computer and one of her kids could have said, I accept.
I know the family and the town and people reading this want some sort of justice in this case, and sure that bitch deserves to go to jail, but sometimes it just doesn't work like that. I'm sure some overwritten and overwrought law will be put on the books so the next time anyone mis-represents themselvs on a website (like that guy who got all his shit stolen out of his house) to harrass someone there will be some sort of legal ramifications for those involved. That seems to be all of the justice we can expect.
It's such an odd case, though.
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Raiders of The Lost Ark
[Read the article: Indy and the Martian Inca mummies -- vs. the French!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I really tried to to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark this weekend on the Sci Fi Channel, but I couldn't even sit through it for nostalgia sake. I did however, keep flipping back to see my two favorite parts 1) when the creepy little German guy with the speech impediment gets burned by the golden map 2) when the creep little German guy starts screaming at the awesome terribleness of the Ark. I mean, he's friggin awesome. That scream alone, the look on his trollish little face; priceless. He reminds me of Claude Raines (i think that's who I'm thinking of...)
I think O'Hehir really helped me clarify why I can't watch Raiders and why I'm not chomping at the bit to watch the new one. Raiders of the Lost Ark was an homage to an older style of filmmaking as well as being somewhat new and improved. So many movies have stolen from Raiders at this point, from the Mummy to National Treasure, that when I watch it now, it feels incredibly dated, almost as old as the cliffhangers it tries to emulate.
Except for that little German guy. Whatever happened to him?
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First of all
[Read the article: Why don't those hillbillies like Obama?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I really hate how discussions of this kind devolve into elitist latte liberal snobs vs. hillbilly rednecks. Until people in this country realize that except for a miniscule minority of people (hollywood stars, CEO's) we are all struggling, and that the divisiveness between groups is all just a ploy by the "Man" (yes I said it) to keep us down, we'll never do anything about the problems in this country.
It doesn't help that some people on this thread get off on taking offense at anything and everything. Ohmigod, Obama called people from Appalachia Hillbillies! (Untrue.)
Ohmigod, that campaign worker is an evil elitist! People from Appalachia are evil racists! Saying that people from Appalachia are racist is racist!
The truth is, that so-called hillbillies are themselves, elitists and probably just as snobby as latte liberals. (Again, we have more in common than you think.) I mean, one of the stereotypes of the so-called salt of the earth types is that they are poor but most definitely proud. Sure, they might want the mines to open back up or the factories to come back, but they love their communities and are proud to be from where they are.
I feel like those of you who are coming to their defense are worse than the so-called snobs. It smacks of condescension. They pretty much told us all how they feel about Obama at the ballot box. They don't need ya'll to speak up for them and I'm sure most of them wouldn't thank you for it.