Whatever Happened to Innocent Until Proven Guilty? Has the World Gone Mad?
Have you ever read about primitive townsfolk chasing women with pitchforks, accusing them of being witches, and think - I would be so good at that?
These media and public witch hunts are becoming dangerous, ruining people’s lives and setting a dark precedent. First, there were cancellations for anything the mob didn’t agree with, but things have escalated further.
Before we get started, we must make a few things clear.
I don’t know if anyone currently being hunted by the media apparatus is guilty or innocent. I have no idea. I can’t possibly know.
Nor can you unless you’re the victim yourself or a direct witness. You don’t know if they are innocent or guilty.
We both have opinions on the matter, mainly deriving from our personal experiences and whether we like these people or not. It has nothing to do with them but our perception of the situation.
The media, people, you or me, aren’t here to judge others. That is why we have created courts of law. Let them do their jobs.
People’s lives, livelihoods, and families are ruined before they even enter the courtroom. Statistically speaking, many of these people are innocent and will have their lives ruined by the mob.
Everyone is innocent until proven guilty clause is there for a reason. It’s to prevent mob-like behavior that we are seeing right now.
Do you know why this assumption of innocence is the number one rule of law?
The reason is that this sort of mob behavior, false accusations, and innocent people being incarcerated and executed have been the norm for the entirety of human existence. When you understand that a large percentage of allegations and prosecutions are hunting an innocent person, you must set a higher standard for evidence before condemning someone to life in prison or worse.
You may enjoy this witch hunt and join in like a brainless drone, but what happens when someone has it out for you, and you become the hunted?
No proof is needed. No evidence. No trial.
That’s a convenient way to assassinate someone with practically zero personal risk. Interesting and not at all scary.
Someone just decided they didn’t like you, or you got in their way, so they decided to cancel you. Can you not understand how problematic such a precedent is and how easy it is to destroy someone’s life without having to prove anything?
“They did something horrible. Stone them to death,” an angry mob yells, and stones start hitting your head. You’re fired, your money confiscated, and your family leaves you. Your children will never look at you the same way, whether you did the accused thing or not—no chance to defend yourself. You can scream, “I’m innocent!” all you want, but no one believes you. Someone said something horrible about you; it must be true since they said it.
You scream, “BARBARIANS!” when you read about a group in the Middle East that marched a woman naked through the street, accused her of adultery, and stoned her to death. But you’re doing the exact same thing, only within the context of your culture! You’re no better. Look at yourself in the mirror and see the face of those barbarians staring back at you.
Here’s a short reminder of how accurate these witch hunts tend to be:
“It has been estimated that tens of thousands of people were executed for witchcraft in Europe and the American colonies over several hundred years. The exact number is unknown, but modern conservative scholars estimate around 40,000–50,000. Scholar Carlo Ginzburg of the University of Bologna, in his work Night Battles, estimates the number between 3-4 million people. Common methods of execution for convicted witches were hanging, drowning, and burning. Burning was often favored, particularly in Europe, as it was considered a more painful way to die. Prosecutors in the American colonies generally preferred hanging in cases of witchcraft.” Source.
The US Innocence Project has helped free more than two hundred people who were convinced and spent time in prison, based on new DNA evidence. Source.
Between 2% and 10% of convicted individuals in US prisons are innocent.
2,666 people have been exonerated in the US since 1989. Out of 100 sentenced to death, 4 are likely innocent, but only 2 get exonerated. 69% of wrongful conviction cases happen due to eyewitness misidentification. False confessions account for 29% of wrongful convictions. Official misconduct plays a part in 31% of murder exonerations. False accusations are present in 70% of wrongful convictions. Source.
In short, not all who are accused of a crime are guilty. Not all who are convicted are guilty. When it comes to media and witness reports, let’s just say they’re highly unreliable. Even if that number is 2-5%, and it’s not, as we were citing statistics for convicted criminals, not merely accused, that means that a lot of people have their lives destroyed and didn’t deserve it in the least!
The latest prey for the internet mob is Russell Brand.
He is a controversial figure who went from a drug addict, movie star, and playboy to a voice of alternative news, self-help, and fighting against the establishment. He’s also a comedian and activist, let’s not forget.
I didn’t like him as an actor, much less his previous lifestyle, but I appreciate his ability to fight verbal wars and intellect. I also occasionally watch his show—the news thingy, not his standup.
I’m not defending him, as I don’t know him. At all. I have no horse in this race.
And as we’ve seen with the whole Danny Masterson debacle, I wouldn’t necessarily know what my best friends have done decades ago. The mob is at it again when accusing Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis of defending a now convicted “R-word” with a character letter for the court.
I’m sorry, people, but that is even more asinine! If your friend gets in trouble, you should have his back. If anyone should believe them until the very last minute, it’s their family and friends.
Once convicted, that would probably change. You might feel sorry for them, things might begin making sense, or you might feel betrayed by that person. They have lied to you their whole life and were not the person you believed them to be. Or the thing you feared most was actually true. It’s not easy to accept such things about the people you love. You know them from a different perspective than their victims. “They said something nice about the man - they shall be lynched as well, for good measure!”
I don’t know if all his friends and family knew he was the “R word,” and neither do you. Perhaps they did, maybe they didn’t. Either way, it’s none of your business. Are you sure none of your family members or friends has done something horrible in the past?
How many murderer’s acquaintances know they have blood on their hands? Not many, I would assume. If any, at all. I don’t imagine one goes around raping people and telling everyone about it, either. But hey, Hollywood is weird. Anything is possible.
Back to Russell Brand. I have seen many people coming to his defense lately and even more people standing up for the alleged victims. I applaud both, in a way.
If you believe in something, you should stand up for it.
Many women get mistreated in the most gruesome ways and remain silent for fear of repercussions, stigma, and lack of faith in the system. It has indeed let them down, as it does millions of people every day. I come from a policing background, and I know the system sucks, especially for domestic violence cases.
These women and children (predominantly, but not exclusively) are in an impossible situation. They deserve and need our help. Help them. Do what you can. Be there for them. Be their voice when they cannot speak. Stand between them and their abusers! Be the hero when they need it!
And they do need it, as police are only “allowed” to intervene after a crime has been committed after it’s too late. The blood has been spilled. The damage is done. They’re not to blame necessarily. I know many suffer because of this powerlessness. It’s no fun knowing someone is in trouble, but you can’t do anything about it. Not before it’s too late. A stern warning and a friendly visit usually only cause more harm to the abused.
It’s a complicated situation with no easy solution. Most victims don’t want to press charges. Then, one day, you get a call and find them bloodied on the floor. It’s a sad fact and something these officers must deal with daily. I do not envy them one bit, and neither should you.
The reason the solution isn’t a simple one is because we can’t just convict someone of a crime without proving it. We can’t put people in jail on someone’s word alone. Yes, this causes some people to go free and stay on the streets, but it prevents even more people from being incarcerated while innocent.
False testimonies do happen.
I personally know women who have accused and pressed charges against men who have rejected them. They were so insulted that they decided to ruin their lives.
In one case, the girl was not even 18 when a married man with a family was targeted by her rage. Men aren’t the only evil-doers out there, you know. She convinced a friend of hers to testify that the man had sex with both of them, underaged at the time, and had raped one. His family was instantly destroyed. Burned. Annihilated.
These girls later recanted their statement, and he was justly acquitted of everything, but the damage had been done. A jealous teenager, insulted as the man rejected her, managed to destroy his family, reputation, and livelihood with one simple statement and some help from a friend.
How do I know that he didn’t do those things? Because that woman was a close friend of mine. She confided in me some years later and showed remorse. She was young and in love, she confessed. She didn’t think of the damage it would cause at the time. She just wanted revenge! I can assure you this was not a lonely case. We are all capable of great evil when in love or hurt.
This, my dear readers, is why courts, judges, and juries exist.
Making an accusation is easy, proving it is hard. The system sometimes fails us, but would you prefer the alternative? That everyone can just accuse anyone of anything and execute them on the spot?
If you took it literally, I would assume you would say no. But you’re okay with destroying their lives, reputations, and families without any proof? Without them seeing a day in court? Without even the first guilty verdict on their belt? You do, don’t you? But only for the people you don’t like.
If Russell is guilty, I do not doubt it will be proven in court.
He will pay the price. The problem is he’s currently not guilty. Innocent until proven guilty. I’m not even sure he was officially charged with anything when his life and reputation were ruined. Letters are going around demanding an ethical cancelation of all his income streams from various providers.
Some, like YouTube, have predictably caved. This is a horrible precedent! Others, like Rumble, have stood by their principles and would not get involved in this witchhunt.
Not even a hunt, a burning at the stake!
“He’s a witch! I have a witness from twenty years ago. She went to the media instead of the police because she sought justice, not money! This monster won’t be punished unless we all gather and burn it alive! More have now come to remember once not agreeing to sexual intercourse while dating the witch. There is no more doubt. Burn him. Burn him now! He was seen doing witchcraft. Quickly, before he can defend himself and influence our minds with his dirty black magic!”
“Yes! Burn the evil witch. Less he infects others with his sourcery! He must be made an example of! For all the other victims of witches who got away! Burn him alive and everything he holds dear!” the crowd demands. “His house, his family, his livestock. Burn it all!”
The witch screams, “I’m not a witch! I’m innocent! I would never do such a thing. This must be some kind of misunderstanding. I repeat, I am innocent of the accused crimes!”
“That’s exactly what an evil witch would say. We have proof! Let us smell the burning witches’ flesh. Let us fest on his grave! A great evil shall be expunged from our midst.”
The witch gets burned alive. He doesn’t die instantly. No, burning alive is a slow process. The mob enjoys watching the evil witch burn. They bring their whole family to the lynching.
As the life of the supposed witch crumbles into ash, the witness disappears, and the rest redraw their accusations. Perhaps they made a mistake. Maybe they misunderstood. Perhaps they were paid to destroy the witch or had an axe to grind with them.
Ups, the crowd goes, “Ups. F-word it. Mistakes happen. Next time, we’ll burn two propper withes and make up for it. No biggie. No damage. Nothing unrepairable was done.”
The man, supposedly a witch, had died an agonizing death, innocent and naked, before the crowd who spat in his face. The crowd doesn’t care. They don’t apologize. They don’t feel remorse. They say to themselves, “He must have been a witch. Otherwise, we couldn’t have burned him alive. We trusted the source. It’s not our fault!” and sleep like babies.
Again, for those in the back and the readers who keep skipping paragraphs - I don’t know if the man is guilty or not, but neither do you!
If he’s guilty, I hope it is proven in a court of law and he receives a proper punishment. Jail time, removal of property, reimbursement for his victims, the lot!
If he’s innocent, I hope he is acquitted, his accusers go to jail for lying and destroying his name, life, business, and family, and everyone who lynched him without proof gets lynched in his stead. They are now liable to support his family and pay him reparations, as they have destroyed his livelihood. It’s only fair, isn’t it? We should all pay for our sins, shouldn’t we?
Wow, wow, wow, mister! Hold your horses. We are not responsible for any damage!
What? No? You disagree? What do you mean? That doesn’t happen, does it? Apart from some civil lawsuit options, the accusers, cancellers, lynchers, and the mob face no repercussions for destroying people’s lives. That’s a convenient way to assassinate someone with practically zero personal risk. Interesting and not at all scary.
Russell Brand is a public person.
He was a celebrity, one ladies seemed to have adored. I never understood his charm other than his radiant confidence and quick wits. He was also a self-admitted drug addict and a manslut, in his earlier days. Girls were throwing themselves at him, day and night. That is no secret. Sex was had - lots of it, I’m sure.
Could something have happened in that time warranting the “R-word” accusation? Maybe.
Is it possible that some people would say anything to get fame and money? Possible.
Could some people hold resentments from those days and want to hurt him now? Sure.
I don’t know why these young, hot celebrities would have to drug people and rape them, given that they appear to be swimming in the “P-word,” with thousands of willing participants for some fun and games everywhere they show up. Still, perhaps it’s a power thing (R-word usually is).
The man had made some powerful enemies.
He has since become a powerful voice against the elites. Whether you agree with his perspectives or not is irrelevant. He was ruffling up some feathers and, admittedly, made certain people’s lives less pleasant with his own accusations.
The man has made some powerful enemies, influential people with unlimited resources. He might have incited his own mob of haters. Perhaps this is the work of karma or the old “live by the sword, die by the sword” principle.
Is it possible the people he attacked daily on his show (guilty or innocent as they may be) might not like him very much and see him as a problem for their goals?
Is it possible that those powerful people with limitless resources would want him gone, destroyed, without a voice? His reputation tarnished, and his insinuations questionable?
Could they pull it off?
Damn right, they would, and they certainly could.
This is the problem with not knowing what you don’t know.
It’s okay not to know but not to ruin people’s lives on unproven accusations. It’s okay to protect victims and fight for their rights, but it’s not okay to destroy people’s lives without first proving their guilt in a court of law.
If we partake in this lynching, the fates may one day turn, and the mob might set its sights on us. Let the law do their judging and prisons do their punishing. We are a civilized society, are we not?
Innocent until proven guilty. Russell, you, and me.
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