re: Jeremy Hill arrested for battery

quote:

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Again, no words should lead to battery especially for someone who has already been in trouble with the law

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This, all day every day and twice on Sunday.

I have had the immense frustration of dealing with people I care about who are on probation talking about how they "aren't gonna take shite" and want to beat the crap out of somebody for talking trash to them. For whatever reason (likely the same reason that landed them on probation in the first place), too many of these people are unwilling or incapable of accepting that they have, by their past actions, forfeited the right to behave the way other non-convicted felons can. Even if we do allow a "fightin' words" defense in our laws (a debate for another time), they are not in the same position to avail themselves of it. They are on probation, and THE WHOLE POINT OF PROBATION IS THAT IT IS PUNISHMENT AND RESTRICTION OF YOUR FREEDOMS BECAUSE YOUR DECISION MAKING HAS BEEN PROVEN BAD!! We as a society are not going to allow you to make judgment calls on whether someone else deserves to be punched because you have a proven history of making judgment calls that are criminally unacceptable. That's why people on probation for DUI often have a condition of no alcohol consumption because they have proven that they cannot be trusted to decide not to drive when they are intoxicated.

Granted, Hill's probation is for an offense that appears to have little in common with this situation, but his judgment is still suspect, and he MUST learn to respect that fact or he is very likely to completely ruin his own life (if he hasn't already).