I teach my law students that law’s most important purpose to address anger, where possible, in a socially functional way. The social media reaction to a cold blooded first degree murder suggests laws governing health care are not performing that task adequately.
@jciv Re: laws "not performing that task adequately" Y'think? What was your first clue? The re-election of an open and notorious traitor? It's not just "laws governing health care," it's the state of law and governance generally.
@ralfmaximus @jciv Guillotines are proof laws have failed.
Yeah. But the problem with guillotines is that once they come out it's hard to stop guillotining people. Lots of stupid feuds were settled that way during the French revolution that had nothing to do with the, uh actual revolution.
"My boss is a dick! Off with his head!"
"My girlfriend cheated on me! And she's probably a spy! Off with her head!"
*crowd roars*
@ralfmaximus @phaedral @jciv and voting/political campaigns are the alternative to civil war.
@ralfmaximus @phaedral @jciv It definitely feels like a momentous turning point when people are celebrating a murder
It's a step well beyond reactions to the submarine
@peterbutler @ralfmaximus @phaedral @jciv
I hope it's a turning point and that real change is ahead. I don't encourage violence, but if someone is going to go on a homicidal rampage, I'd much rather the targets of their rage be the billionaire oligarchs responsible for our present predicament rather than innocent people in, say, high school cafeterias and at public events.
It's terrible it's had to come this, but it's not the least bit unexpected. People can only be pushed so far...
@peterbutler @ralfmaximus @phaedral @jciv
*(I'm not the least bit optimistic any meaningful change will be forthcoming any time soon. It'll probably take a lot more events like this to move the needle, and even then, I fear the system is far too broken and the wealthy interests far too deeply entrenched to expect any sort of change to come from "within" the system)
@ralfmaximus @jciv Dragging up an aphorism I penned a few years ago: "Law: Minor branch of the language arts. Not always dark."
@phaedral Litotes.