There is no need to sic the Internet lynch mob on every person unfortunate enough to get 5 seconds of fame for some dumb thing.
Oddly enough, it is not the job of random people to pass judgement and harass strangers over the Internet based on a news article they skimmed for a couple seconds.
You prefer lynch mobs over due process? Fuck that.
Why should you or I or anyone not directly involved need to like or dislike this person who has zero impact on our lives beyond a moment of amusement? If he committed crimes, I hope he goes to jail. But I don't have all the facts about that and I'm not on the jury so that isn't and shouldn't be up to me. And no, reading one news article does not constitute all the facts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heckler%27s_veto
which specifically goes into violent reactions:
> Most findings say that the acting party's actions cannot be pre-emptively stopped due to fear of heckling by the reacting party, but in the immediate face of violence, authorities can force the acting party to cease their action in order to satisfy the hecklers.
Terrific. Let me know when the "police and the justice system and people" start investigating Rod Ponton's persistent and seemingly malevolent use of his vast prosecutorial power to destroy an innocent woman's life.
> There is no need to sic the Internet lynch mob on every person unfortunate enough to get 5 seconds of fame for some dumb thing.
Go ahead and address your letter of complaint to reason.com. Let them know you object to their "lynching" of Rod Ponton, based on nothing more than thorough journalism and public records.
> Oddly enough, it is not the job of random people to pass judgement and harass strangers over the Internet based on a news article they skimmed for a couple seconds.
Perhaps you don't care enough to learn about the case, or even read an article about it. Maybe you relate to Rod Ponton and sympathize with him. Regardless, given your apparent inclination to defend him from scrutiny by people who do happen to care, the only sensible response I can muster is Fuck You. You're part of the problem.
Take a deep breath and calm yourself. Reading one news article does not make you a judge, jury, or an executioner. This isn't a comic book, you are not the Punisher who gets to make criminals pay on your own terms.
It's highly disturbing that you view a desire for everyone (yes, even guilty people!) to have a fair trial before getting their life destroyed as a "problem" that I'm part of.
What Rod Ponton did is not a matter of debate. It is in fact a matter of extensive public record. The legality of his actions on the other hand-- that is, whether they should be punishable under the law-- is a fair thing to debate, and I would certainly not wish to deprive Mr. Ponton of any of his legal rights whatsoever.
Quite the contrary, I think we would all (except you apparently) like to see Rod Ponton brought to trial in a neutral venue with competent representation, an impartial judge, and a jury of his peers. Rather than, you know, being protected by the system that he feeds, hidden from the prying eyes of the media and, when noticed in random HN threads, defended by sanctimonious sympathizers such as yourself.
Again, fuck you. I'm done with this.
And do you think that stirring up an Internet mob is likely to achieve that? Historically, has that been what Internet mobs do? Are you somehow under the impression that Hacker News is a favorite hangout for the District Attorney in the appropriate jurisdiction? How exactly do you believe that cursing at random people on the Internet will achieve this goal?
I'll tell you what, if you email me in 30 days (March 13, 2021) and tell me that you've honestly thought about this even once in the previous 7 days, I'll Venmo you $5 USD. Honor system. My email is in my profile. If instead by then you've moved on to the next outrage du jour, maybe it's time to admit to yourself that you care more about feeling outraged than seeking justice.
Are you doing it?
It's not working, try harder!
Judge Ferguson and the attorney Rod Ponton are known pieces of shit here in Texas, so instead of crying about the facts- perhaps you should thank GP for enlightening you, and increasing your knowledge.
There's a constable in Outer Mongolia who likes to kick puppies. Shall I tell you about him so you can be impotently outraged about it?
If what you said were actually true, and you didn't care so much more than everyone else, then you would have never said anything about it in the first place, and you CERTAINLY wouldn't keep replying to everyone's messages, beating a dead horse, trying to stir up your own mob, making a big deal out of nothing, and telling other people that they're overreacting, when you're the one who's overreacting to something you claim you don't even care about.