A Must-Read

Indeed.

The blurring of terms and the description of ordinary behavior as if it were a violation of all norms is part of this.

But this article brings out something that few discuss; which is the necessity to humiliate a subject in order to make them a target of scorn and ultimately of death. The Nazis viewed humiliation as both the tool and the evidence that the subject deserved such treatment.

When the subject flinches in anticipation, its easier for the bully to get bystanders to join in.

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As for me I think its time that we re-acknowledge rehabilitation as the goal. While there are some incorrigibles, there presence shouldn't distract from the goal of reabsorbing those who can rejoin society. And of-course punishing someone for life is incompatible with the goal of preventing a reoccurrence.

Why does this notion seem rational when applied to an armed robber or someone guilty of manslaughter, but gets thrown out the window for the College freshman whose beloved is 4 years his junior?

And this notwithstanding of the question of whether a consensual act deserves to be treated as criminal assault.

Dante