While I understand that it's bad, I also have a VERY VERY hard time condoning the punishment of essentially free speech.
I WILL NOT stand by and allow someone to be punished for speaking something that I find offensive. I don't care if it offends you, it's not your right to avoid offense.
Surely, you understand this important distinction, as the prosecution of protected speech has so many social negatives.
There is a difference between speech which is offensive (which should be free), and speech which is harmful (which should not).
You can reasonably respond to "He made fun of my religion" with "Ignore him".
You cannot do the same with a prolonged campaign of bullying. The human psyche is not able to deal with that without some form of emotional damage, especially not at that age (although some figure out how to protect themselves with "safer" forms of emotional damage). Real harm can be done, and this should not be permitted.
It's worth pointing out that attempted murder is prosecuted with about 30% of the severity of murder.
If bullying-leads-to-suicide is a crime that justifies 5 years, does bullying-without-suicide justifies 1.5 years?
I think not.
I would say that those terms are somewhat reasonable, assuming the intent was to cause suicide, and keeping in mind we shouldn't be talking prison given the age of the offender. If death was not the intent, then the analogy is more toward manslaughter vs. something which is probably not a criminal offense (some form of negligence?).
I agree that 5 years would be too severe for bullying causing death but without intent.
From the press release mentioned by an earlier poster:
"The benefits of V2G for the grid are compelling, but drivers get something too. PJM pays millions of dollars to generating stations for their help in balancing the grid. Once vehicles assume that role on a significant scale, their drivers will get paid too. That is why FERC Commissioner Jon Wellinghoff likes to call the cars CashBack Vehicles - plug them in and get cash back."
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While I understand that it's bad, I also have a VERY VERY hard time condoning the punishment of essentially free speech.
I WILL NOT stand by and allow someone to be punished for speaking something that I find offensive. I don't care if it offends you, it's not your right to avoid offense.
Surely, you understand this important distinction, as the prosecution of protected speech has so many social negatives.
There is a difference between speech which is offensive (which should be free), and speech which is harmful (which should not).
You can reasonably respond to "He made fun of my religion" with "Ignore him".
You cannot do the same with a prolonged campaign of bullying. The human psyche is not able to deal with that without some form of emotional damage, especially not at that age (although some figure out how to protect themselves with "safer" forms of emotional damage). Real harm can be done, and this should not be permitted.
It's worth pointing out that attempted murder is prosecuted with about 30% of the severity of murder.
If bullying-leads-to-suicide is a crime that justifies 5 years, does bullying-without-suicide justifies 1.5 years?
I think not.
I would say that those terms are somewhat reasonable, assuming the intent was to cause suicide, and keeping in mind we shouldn't be talking prison given the age of the offender. If death was not the intent, then the analogy is more toward manslaughter vs. something which is probably not a criminal offense (some form of negligence?).
I agree that 5 years would be too severe for bullying causing death but without intent.
From the press release mentioned by an earlier poster:
"The benefits of V2G for the grid are compelling, but drivers get something too. PJM pays millions of dollars to generating stations for their help in balancing the grid. Once vehicles assume that role on a significant scale, their drivers will get paid too. That is why FERC Commissioner Jon Wellinghoff likes to call the cars CashBack Vehicles - plug them in and get cash back."