Justice is served in Kansas

[neadods]

After scaring us all with the possibility of a "voluntary manslaughter" charge (in which someone can get out of jail in a mere five years as long as they believed killing someone else Really Really Needed Doing Honest Cross My Heart, however "unreasonable" that belief) the jury took slightly over half an hour to convict Roeder of Murder One.

Because yes, it fucking IS premeditated murder to fantasize about maiming or killing someone, buying a gun, taking target practice, stalking the victim to find the "best" place to blow them away, showing up armed at the planned assassination spot THREE TIMES, and finally running up, putting a gun against the victim's skull, and pulling the trigger from point-blank range. No matter how many times "Tiller the baby killer" is repeated, that's pretty much the textbook definition of first degree homicide.

According to one news report, Roeder was also convicted of two counts of aggravated assault; I'm assuming that this is for the men in the church who tried to stop him and who he also threatened to shoot.


In other excellent reproductive rights news, England is announcing a new form of emergency contraception that can be used up to 5 days after.

Comments

[redpanda13.livejournal.com]

I'm especially pleased that it was a Kansas jury, and that they had to deliberate only 37 minutes-- as someone said in another quick case, "About long enough to use the restroom and order coffee."

But a Newsweek column noted that this won't deter similar fanatics, because... they're fanatics.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I'm a bit surprised it took 37 minutes, even with the coffee. He confessed on the stand!

this won't deter similar fanatics, because... they're fanatics.

*sigh* Yes.

[gonzai55.livejournal.com]

They wanted at least one more free lunch out of the deal, hence the 37 minutes.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I've eaten courtroom food. As with many free things, you're getting what you pay for.

[ponygirl72.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the BBC link. I've flagged it in the dedicated forum for my job (a UK text answer service), because as you might imagine, we get quite a few questions on the morning after pill.

It should make its way into our database of answers pretty quickly, and then we'll make sure the information gets to where it's most needed. :-)

[neadods.livejournal.com]

as you might imagine, we get quite a few questions on the morning after pill.

I hadn't thought about it, but yeah - a second's thinking suggests this is probably among your top 10 questions!

VERY exciting news, although I'm assuming that getting it here is going to be the usual go-around of delays and objections and with five days there are still women who run into folks who want to run the clock out.

Personally, I think EC should be something every woman keeps around on spec, just like bandaids, Bactine, Ace bandages, and a fire extinguisher. It's not a question of planning on needing it, it's a question of having it on the off chance you might.

(I'm so American, aren't I? We're terrible for using brand names as generic identifiers. Mind you, I don't even know what the generic equivalent *is* for Bactine or Ace bandages.)

[ponygirl72.livejournal.com]

Maybe not top 10, but it certainly comes up on a regular basis.

And yes, I imagine it will be a good few years before ulipristal makes it across the pond.

Emergency contraception is a wonderful thing. Though I have no interest in trying to legislate or otherwise impose my opinion on other women, I don't think that I, personally, could walk into a doctor's office and have a fetus aborted. But keeping a 24-hour-old blastula from implanting in the endometrium? Hand over the pill, Doc.

As far as genericized trademarks go, yeah, that got me into trouble a few times early in the job with AQA (now called 63336)-- because they weren't even the *right* genericized trademarks! Boss: "What's an Ace bandage?" Me: "... er..."

Band-Aid: adhesive bandage (UK: sticking plaster)

Bactine: I was wrong about this one; I thought it was bacitracin, but it's lidocaine and Benzalkonium chloride. So... topical anesthetic, I guess?

Ace bandage: elastic bandage. Learned *that* one the hard way. ;-)

[neadods.livejournal.com]

because they weren't even the *right* genericized trademarks!

Yeah - it's all probably regional!

So... topical anesthetic, I guess?

Anesthetic mixed with anti-bacterial, if I've read the label correctly. Basically good for little crap, like cat scratches.

[steviesun.livejournal.com]

So... topical anesthetic, I guess?

Anesthetic mixed with anti-bacterial, if I've read the label correctly. Basically good for little crap, like cat scratches.

I think I know what you mean. And half words are coming to mind. We probably would use a brand name but I can't think what. Feeling the need to ask my Dave what's in his first aid kit (as it does get used a lot, being a tool maker and woodsman). He says Germolene is the main brand we generally we'd just say something like "anesthetic cream". If I've been following this right and haven't completely misunderstood.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Nope, you've got it - the concept and the different ways we talk.

(I know an American who bought a round in a drinking game rather than explain what "a Trojan" was to her British companions.)

[steviesun.livejournal.com]

I enjoy exploring the differences in the languages. I converse online enough with americans that it's useful to know some of them.

As for Trojans. I believe we used to have them over here too (my Dave remembers an advert). Funny thing is that it's one of those things where for years there was only one easy to buy brand but we never ever used the brand name. Dave once however was looking through a very very old book (I can't remember whether it was one he bought or whether it was in a library) but he turned to one page and there was, pressed between pages, a sheeps intestines one.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Wow! I can't imagine how old an actual sheep intestine one would be. (And a bit gross to find in a book!)

we never ever used the brand name

It's a cultural thing, I'm sure; America is obsessed with business, and obsessively marketed at so we'll associate a brand with a concept. (And then we go do it too often and the business loses its brand. This isn't that logical.)

[fyrdrakken]

I gather the sheep's intestine ones are still being sold, for the latex-allergic. Harder to find, I believe, and with the caveat that they aren't as microbe-resistant as the usual variety, but still.

Thank God!

[flaviarassen.livejournal.com]

& I mean that in all the possibly nasty
irony you can think of.

(At least Kansas isn't a total washout!)