Hmm, I understand the concept, but this should be adjusted:
"Why Donald Trump is Being Prosecuted"
"Because he is accused of committing crimes."
Remember, folks, innocent until proven guilty.
In my view, innocent until proven guilty is a concept that only applies to legal proceedings. It’s a vital concept to apply to the state to prevent tyranny. But the colloquial standard of proof is much lower, We know he did those things, he’s even admitted it, and those things are crimes. He committed crimes.
And, we can safely say it, and it will have no effect on the legal proceedings, because we’re not part of them. Let’s not muddy the waters, and let’s save “allegedly” in the colloquial context for things for which we have no proof. Otherwise, how do we talk about cases like OJ Simpson? Everybody knows he did it, but the state didn’t meet its burden of proof in court. In the legal sense, he’s not guilty, and in the colloquial sense, he’s guilty, and both of those things can be true at once.
Either way, I prefer to respect the system that protects me just as it protects Trump: Innocent until proven guilty. Let's respect this liberal concept that we enjoy that most people globally do not have access to.
I respect it by accepting the outcome of the legal process, even if I don’t like it, not by tying myself up in conversational knots. I, for one, will continue to say that he committed crimes, because he did. Whether he’s convicted is different matter.
I respect it by accepting the outcome of the legal process, even if I don’t like it, not by tying myself up in conversational knots.
I, for one, will continue to say that he committed crimes, because he did. Whether he’s convicted is different matter.
English may be my second language, but isn't those pretty contradictory?
I don’t think so. One is a statement of (perceived) fact. The other the outcome of a process. Committing crimes is what triggers criminal legal proceedings. At least, in a just world. There are too many people convicted by a court of law who did not commit a crime, and I’m not going to call them criminals.
Committing crimes is what triggers criminal legal proceedings.
Being accused of committing a crime is what triggers criminal legal proceedings. Many people commit crimes and get away with it because they have no accusers. Many others are defendants who are accused, but did not actually commit any crime. I'm not saying that Trump didn't commit crimes (it's pretty obvious that he did), but I am pointing out that it is the accusation and being formally charged that causes one to be prosecuted. In my mind, it's an important distinction.
Fair point, and a good elaboration. That dovetails with my thinking, too. If a house gets robbed and there's no evidence who did it, we still call it a crime, even without a conviction in court. If we accuse somebody of it, that's a good use of "accused criminal" in the colloquial sense.
I probably should have elaborated further in my first comment. The average Fediverse user seems to be highly reactionary, and I shouldn't have assumed that people would read deeper into what I was trying to say.
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