# the "three strike law" ?!&# - what the hell is wrong with you Americans **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 5, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800 "2003-01-05T19:14:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/61 "2003-01-05T23:39:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Should we punish people for being stupid. Well, we already do, since I think most people would agree that the majority of crimes are stupid acts performed for stupid reasons. BTW, **Naxox** , are you going to answer my previous question? ---
**Author:** ![Dryga\_Yes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@Dryga\_Yes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dryga_Yes)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/62 "2003-01-06T00:13:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*An OP gets the responses it deserves. If he had written a reasoned post explaining why he disapproves of the California “3-strikes” law, I would have, in turn, given a reasoned, patient response. But one-line OPS that contain nothing more than a blanket condemantion of all Americans written by an obviously prejudiced newbie do not deserve reasoned, patient responses. > > If I had written an OP that was titled “cutting off hands-what the hell is wrong with you Iranians” I would have my head (deservedly) handed to me for writing an inflammatory, bigoted post. But if the topic is America, and in this case, not even all of America but only one state, then bigotry and hateful blanket condemantions of all Americans is acceptable.\*\* Where the hell did anyone his bigoted OP acceptible? Where the hell did anyone say that you should’ve made a long, thoughtful response?The only thing people seem to be saying is that you shouldn’t say something so incredibly stupid as “fuck off, foreigner” when “fuck off, dickhead” would’ve been much more to the point. And it wouldn’t have pissed off other foreigners on the board, either. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/63 "2003-01-06T01:32:31Z")
> [@](#): > > So I’m calling you on the fact that you explicitly told someone to fuck off because they criticised American law while not being American. Um, if you’re not an American, you don’t get to vote on our policies. I’m not British, so I don’t get to vote on your policies. You can criticize if you like, but we don’t have to listen to you because it is an internal matter in our country. And if you don’t have the first fuckin’ clue on American politics or our criminal justice system, then we get to ignore you with even more vigor. If non-Americans don’t like it, tough. There’s nothing in the Constitution that says anything about foreigners having veto power on our laws. ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/64 "2003-01-06T01:41:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > \*\*Why does Canada always get left off lists like that? Don’t our felons count, too? \*\* To be fair, it was a list of _first_-world countries. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/65 "2003-01-06T01:58:05Z")
> [@](#): > > we don’t have to listen to you because it is an internal matter in our country. Spoken like a true Mandarin ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/66 "2003-01-06T03:22:27Z")
Will someone please ban that snot? ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/67 "2003-01-06T03:31:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Naxox\_dec.2002 \* > \*\*but then again we have a new problem. Should we punish people for being stupid. \*\* If we in the USA actively start jailing the stupid, I would strongly suggest you avoid visiting. Your posts here would be convictable evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/68 "2003-01-06T04:54:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dryga\_Yes \* > \*\*you shouldn’t say…“fuck off, foreigner” when “fuck off, dickhead” would’ve been much more to the point. And it wouldn’t have pissed off other foreigners on the board, either. \*\* I think that’s an excellent point, actually. \<\< files for future reference \>\> Tell all clueless kneejerk Yank-flaming bigots to “fuck off, dickhead” instead of “fuck off, foreigner” Got it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/69 "2003-01-06T06:10:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Naxox\_dec.2002 \* > \*\*is the three strike law worthy in a modern sivilization such as USA ?😕 \*\* I’m not clear as to what your rant is. Are you saying it’s too extreme? Or not extreme enough? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/70 "2003-01-06T08:39:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*Um, if you’re not an American, you don’t get to vote on our policies. I’m not British, so I don’t get to vote on your policies. You can criticize if you like, but we don’t have to listen to you because it is an internal matter in our country. And if you don’t have the first fuckin’ clue on American politics or our criminal justice system, then we get to ignore you with even more vigor. If non-Americans don’t like it, tough. There’s nothing in the Constitution that says anything about foreigners having veto power on our laws. \*\* And who said anything about voting? I just can’t understand your reasoning on this one - just how less entertaining and informative would this board be if we could only comment on matters from our own countries? Seriously, I’m disappointed - I’d never have expected that parochial a response from you. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/71 "2003-01-06T08:52:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\* There’s nothing in the Constitution that says anything about foreigners having veto power on our laws. \*\* no one claimed so, either. asking “Why do you do this” isn’t suggesting that they think they should have the right to veto our laws. Do me a favor - re look at your post here, and compare it to your posts about Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc. Seems to me (and I could be wrong) that you were up in arms over certain legal cases in some of those other countries. If I’m misremembering, and you **didn’t** post outrage at the sentence which included the gang rape of the sister of a guy, or various other Taliban situations etc, then accept my pre-appology. But I seem to recall you participating in those threads and not on the stance of “well, that’s another sovreign nation and they have the right to do…”. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/72 "2003-01-06T09:01:22Z")
I gotta agree with **Francesca** and **Gary** here, **gobear**. There’s idiots on both sides of the Atlantic, and this message board is by its very nature a low threshold way of giving idiots a place to speak their mind - or lack thereof. Frankly, I’d say we should count our blessings and realise the vast majority of posters here aren’t like **naxox**. But when the occasional idjit DOES come along, the proper response is never _“Fuck off, you’re not an American/European, you don’t have a say in this”_. This is the Straight Dope. We fight ignorance, even in the Pit. Granted, in this forum we get to fight ignorance whilst using cuss words. The proper response therefore is: **"Naxox, lissen up, you fucking _eedjit_. If you expect to march onto a new message board and post worthless OP’s without any constructive thought whatsoever, only to then “debate” them in the most pathetic way ever displayed on these very boards, you’ve come to the wrong place. Before you condemn a foreign nation or parts of its legislature, it would do you good to actually _research_ the topics you wish to discuss in order to, you know, form a fucking opinion of sorts. Failure to do so _will_ result in people calling you a stupid idiot, oddly enough. So shape the fuck up."** Because in the end, every non-American gets to have an opinion on US politics on these boards, provided they don’t just post to be contrary, and provided thy are prepared to learn and debate. The fact that not all posters on these boards have the right to vote in US elections is completely irrelevant. Or would you like to shut every 17 year old American out from political discussions as well? ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/73 "2003-01-06T09:13:04Z")
Perhaps the gist was that since the OP was pointless and stupid, the OP’r should indeed fuck off. It’s not as if though **Naxox** put forward any support for his position. Just a dumbass purple frowny. “Is eating horse meets worthy in a modern sivilisashun like the France???” 😕 That is about as valid an OP as Nax’s was. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/74 "2003-01-06T09:17:57Z")
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not disagreeing with **gobear** because the OP deserves any other response than “fuck off”. I’m disagreeing because **gobear** ’s _reasons_ for telling the kid to fuck off are certainly the wrong ones. ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/75 "2003-01-06T09:18:49Z")
“the France” That’s classic. It would have been even better had you deliberately misspelled the as “teh.” That’s always funny, whether a typo or not. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/76 "2003-01-06T09:27:55Z")
I know, and rescind any accustation of teh stupidity due to typos. Nax is most likely not a native English speaker, and my own English tends to suck ass. But teh fact is, ‘teh’ is funny. Just ask Jeffk! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/77 "2003-01-06T10:17:33Z")
“…tends to suck ass.” It’s my new catchphrase. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/78 "2003-01-06T10:19:42Z")
Come to think of it, maybe I should put it on my _resume_. After all, when, in a fit of manic humour, I included the phrase “I enjoy repetitive tasks,” I got the damned job. “…tends to suck ass” ought to work even better. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/79 "2003-01-06T12:33:45Z")
Shoot, **Coldfire** , you don’t have to be so…intelligent and decent. OK, you’re right, I shouldn’t have said what I did and I retract my previous comments. The SDMB is, indeed, a global entity and I didn’t really intend that non-Americans should not be able to discuss American political issues–it’s just the constant litany of grossly uninformed anti-American ranting by nimrods like **Naxox** really, genuinely annoys me. Of course, what I should have taken into account is that some of the most egregious offenders, like the aptly named **Chumpsky** , are Americans themselves. I apologize to the non-American Dopers for my comments. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/80 "2003-01-06T18:31:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > \*\*Well, you’ll have to do better than that. > > That may have been their third strike. What were the first two? Two other pizzas? Or a murder and a assault with a deadly weapon? In other words, do you have a specific instance and a cite to go with your “heard several stories?” > > Zev Steinhardt \*\* IIRC (and IANAL), in California the first strike must be a violent felony to cause subsequent nonviolent felonies to be considered strikes. But keep in mind that there are a lot of crimes which can be considered violent felonies that might not seem so serious after all. For example, let’s say you get in a bar fight and break someone’s nose. Let’s say further that you didn’t start it; or maybe you did start it, but it was in a sense justifiable because someone was hitting on your SO. You could be charged with felony assualt with a deadly weapon, in this case your fists being the weapons. When the case is resolved, whether through trial, or plea, you could end up with felony assault or misdemeanor assault depending on what the court decides. In the former case, you’ve got your first violent strike on your record, so ANY subsequent felonies are considered strikes. So conceivably you could wind up in prison for life for a bar fight. I’m not advocating bar fights, but that seems a bit extreme. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800.md?page=5)