topic Re: Mistake or Crime in Community Chat

Mistake or Crime

Anglophilly — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 04:08:14 GMT

I've always thought a mistake to be something accidental, like pushing the wrong key on a computer, or not balancing the checkbook, or burning dinner.

A crime occurs when the law of the land is broken.

Celebrities seem to equate the two. You can be indicted, even convicted, of crimes such as tax evasion, assault, animal cruelty, or even murder, and cop to making a "mistake".

There have been people who broke the law and owned up to it. I'm thinking of the civil rights marchers, Martin Luther King, Abby Hoffman, and Gandhi. On the darker side, there's Charles Manson, several tyrants and terrorists who never said "Oops, I made a mistake".

We all pay for the "mistakes" of "Housewives", athletes, clergy, and Wall Street tycoons, if not materially, spiritually. And what an example for children!

Apologies are in order. Real ones.

Re: Mistake or Crime

NoelSeven — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 04:22:40 GMT

A mistake is also defined as an action that is misguided or wrong. That would not mean an apology is not needed or appropriate, .

Re: Mistake or Crime

bikerbabe — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 04:23:16 GMT

Abby Hoffman does not belong in the same sentence with MLK and Gandhi.

Re: Mistake or Crime

Marp2 — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 04:33:52 GMT

A further definition of mistake is "an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc".

Re: Mistake or Crime

MomOf4 — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 04:37:45 GMT

On 9/12/2014 bikerbabe said: Abby Hoffman does not belong in the same sentence with MLK and Gandhi.

Or Charles Manson!!

Re: Mistake or Crime

hckynut — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 05:36:53 GMT

What some consider a mistake nowadays are much further away than my definition of a mistake. Committing a crime, especially if it is felonious, a mistake? Not using my definition of mistake. The work crime and criminal fits my definition more closely.

If I were to pop my wife and say, ooopsi, a mistake? Don't think that would fly very far.

Re: Mistake or Crime

Tinkrbl44 — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 06:14:05 GMT

It always depends on the circumstances ......

A few years back, an elderly man ran his car through a farmers market here in Santa Monica and injured 14 people and killed a few, as well.

He pushed the accelerator with his foot ..... and meant to hit the brake.

A bad mistake, to be sure.

Re: Mistake or Crime

RINGER — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 11:19:54 GMT

Back in the day, a mistake was something you could correct with an eraser!!! This nonsense about things being a mistake these days is pathetic!!!

Re: Mistake or Crime

terrier3 — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 17:11:06 GMT

Teresa Guidice says she made a mistake because her mistake was GETTING CAUGHT!

Re: Mistake or Crime

Linders Back — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 00:32:44 GMT

On 9/12/2014 bikerbabe said: Abby Hoffman does not belong in the same sentence with MLK and Gandhi.

Why not?

Because his protests were met by violent responses by the authorities (Chicago police) ? He wasn't the violent one. Nor were any of the other Chicago anti-war protesters, as history has now confirmed.

Re: Mistake or Crime

JGalt — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 00:39:35 GMT

I don't know what prompted this question, but it sure isn't a mistake in my book when a young woman drives at a very high rate of speed on a highway without looking where she is going, and ends up killing someone. It's not a mistake nor an accident. It's no different than walking around holding a firearm locked and loaded.

Re: Mistake or Crime

Marianne1 — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 00:47:07 GMT

mens rea and actus reus.

Intent and an act. required elements for a crime.