# 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:** 19\ **Page:** 5
**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, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/81 "2003-01-06T18:36:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*I apologize to the non-American Dopers for my comments. \*\* I like reasonable people. They make this board what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/82 "2003-01-06T19:32:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by javaman \* > \*\*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. \*\* Extreme??? Extreme??? Here’s a hint. You get in a bar fight and end up with a felony, **DON’T COMMIT ANY MORE FELONIES!!!**. It’s not that hard. I’ve gone my whole life without committing so much as a misdemeanor. And yes, I’d like a cookie for it… ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/83 "2003-01-06T19:37:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* > [ > And yes, I’d like a cookie for it… \*\* All I have is oatmeal raisin-- is that ok? ---
**Author:** ![loinburger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/db5fbb/32.png) [@loinburger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loinburger)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/84 "2003-01-06T20:00:23Z")
Oatmeal raisin? He wants to be _rewarded_, not _punished_… ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/85 "2003-01-06T20:40:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* > And yes, I’d like a cookie for it… Sorry, your browser does not support cookies. ---
**Author:** ![Pythagras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/45deac/32.png) [@Pythagras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagras)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/86 "2003-01-06T23:11:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*Hey, buster, it’s not your country, it’s ours, so why don’t you fuck right off? \*\* Translation: Our positions are too weak to withstand debate, so I decide to ignore you outright cause you are not American. Well Im American and I think America is full of shit. And Im not leaving the country and you’ll have to deal with it. ---
**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, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/87 "2003-01-06T23:19:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pythagras \* > \*\*… Well Im American and I think America is full of shit. And Im not leaving the country and you’ll have to deal with it. \*\* Translation: My fucking parents wouldn’t up my weekly allowance. My professor says that’s because they are filthy capitalists. Too bad we can’t be more like Cuba. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/88 "2003-01-06T23:40:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pythagras \* > \*\* Im not leaving the country and you’ll have to deal with it. \*\* Well, that’s the last straw, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/89 "2003-01-07T00:32:17Z")
> [@](#): > > Our positions are too weak to withstand debate, so I decide to ignore you outright cause you are not American. Well Im American and I think America is full of shit. And Im not leaving the country and you’ll have to deal with it. If you continue to _read the whole thread_, you’ll find that **Gobear’s** statement has been discussed and resolved in a reasonable manner. Try checking next time before you leap in with your outrage. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/90 "2003-01-07T04:32:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > **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.** Yeah, but the way I see it, the idiots are _still_ vastly outnumbered by the interesting posters, be they new or old. And Naxox? He’s not even anti-American. He just found out that pushing people’s buttons on a message board is a really fun way to pass the arctic winter. It was either that, or hump that moose that’s been standing outside his bedroom window so temptingly. No offense to any Canadians, eh. > [@](#): > > \*\*I apologize to the non-American Dopers for my comments. \*\* Good show, man. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/91 "2003-01-07T04:51:21Z")
So, what have we resolved here? Oh, yeah–Pythongrass or whatever the fuck is a moron. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/92 "2003-01-07T05:11:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pythagras \* > \*\*Well Im American and I think America is full of shit. And Im not leaving the country and you’ll have to deal with it. \*\* I think I said stuff like this when I was five. Sorry, **Pythagras** , I can’t see you as anything except a whiney, five-year old when I read this post. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/93 "2003-01-07T16:22:40Z")
“…I think America is full of shit. And Im not leaving the country” Probability these two are related \> 50% ---
**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 7, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/94 "2003-01-07T18:06:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* > \*\*Extreme??? Extreme??? > > Here’s a hint. You get in a bar fight and end up with a felony, **DON’T COMMIT ANY MORE FELONIES!!!**. It’s not that hard. I’ve gone my whole life without committing so much as a misdemeanor. > > And yes, I’d like a cookie for it… \*\* Ouch, I just got grazed by exclamation point shapnel. Your handle suits you. I agree that prior violent offenses – even misdemeanors – ought to be taken into consideration when sentencing for a subsequent offense. But even then there should be an element of fairness in the sentence. FWIW, the California Penal Code delineates short, medium and long sentences for nearly every offense, the exceptions being those that are so heinous that they automatically call for a life sentence. Unless forced by the three-strikes law, the judge can impose or suspend any of the three sentences, or probation, and I’m sure that past offenses do come into consideration in that context. So it’s not like the person in my example wouldn’t face harsher punishment for subsequent crimes anyway. But I still think life in prison is too much, and a waste of the state’s money. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/95 "2003-01-08T08:20:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > \*\*I told the director that receiving 25 years for stealing pizza was, in my opinion, a violation of the Eight Ammendment to our Constitution. \*\* True, it’s a bit harsh for the crime. But you know how he could have easily avoided the 25 year sentence??? By not stealing!!! How hard is that, really? Especially after you have already been convicted of 2 violent felonies and know the man is just itching to boot you off the planet. How hard is it not to steal? If I had 2 strikes on me, I’d try pretty durned hard to keep my nose clean. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/96 "2003-01-08T13:36:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by andros \* > \*\*So, what have we resolved here? Oh, yeah–Pythongrass or whatever the fuck is a moron. \*\* And that now, for whatever reason, really have a craving for cookies. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/97 "2003-01-08T14:10:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spooje \* > \*\*But you know how he could have easily avoided the 25 year sentence??? By not stealing!!! \*\* How is that any different from someone justifying some third world concept of justice by saying “You know how he could have avoided having his hand cut off??? By not stealing the loaf of bread!!!” Civilized countries have an obligation to come up with a system of justice that is fair and reasonable. Twenty-five years for stealing a pizza - if in fact that’s all there was to it - is not fair and reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/98 "2003-01-09T00:41:15Z")
Knock Knock Did somebody order a Pizza here? ---
**Author:** ![BrightEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2acd7d/32.png) [@BrightEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightEyes)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800/99 "2003-01-09T01:12:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Naxox\_dec.2002 \* > \*\*is the three strike law worthy in a modern sivilization such as USA ?😕 \*\* if three strikes is given for one person; it does work if say the crime is grand larceny. it doesn’t with a murderer. it doesn’t work iff yhou’re talking about jaywalking. it does work in some situations. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-three-strike-law-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-americans/146800.md?page=4)