Should convincing someone of a bad idea lead to prosecution?

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Coveny's picture
Should convincing someone of a bad idea lead to prosecution?

Intent is very important when it comes to prosecuting someone, but should that be enough to overcome giving advice that costs someone their lives? Day after day I see people posting articles against vaccination, or promoting cures for cancer that either do nothing or makes things worse. For this I’m going to assume these individuals believe they are giving good advice, and their intent is to help the individual they are giving the advice too.

For years, I’ve used this example. If I have a fly on my chest and your intent is to help me and kill the fly, but instead you kill me. This is an exaggeration, but the concept is still the same. Should good intent supersede harmful advice/action.

Just this year Michelle Carter was sentenced to two and half years for encouraging her boyfriend to kill himself. The law seems to finally be moving in the direction of the results rather than the intent.

So at what line do you believe anti-science need to cross before the intent can be ignored, and the individual is punished for the results?

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algebe's picture
@Mark: "Should convincing
ZeffD's picture
Quote Mark: "If I have a fly
Coveny's picture
While this debate could cover
xenoview's picture
If someone's advise causes
curious's picture
Who decides this is good or
LucyAustralopithecus's picture
I agree if it is very basic,
MCDennis's picture
anti vax doctors should go to
CyberLN's picture
I think the pope is culpable
Coveny's picture
These are what I'm talking
jonthecatholic's picture
I think the culpability would
mykcob4's picture
I absolutely agree with you,
jonthecatholic's picture
Actually, when you put it
Coveny's picture
@mykcob4 yup yup. The problem

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