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This is the distinction between a crime and something that is illegal. On HN people rarely make the distinction because they think something being illegal make
by MCRed 11y ago
This is the distinction between a crime and something that is illegal. On HN people rarely make the distinction because they think something being illegal makes it a crime.
Illegal means it violates a law. A crime is something that actually harms someone.
Gay marriage may have been illegal, but it was never a crime, for example.
Alas, these days the USA is a very authoritarian culture and the idea that there might be US laws that are themselves crimes to enforce seems alien. But logically and morally it is the case.
- bitwize 11y agoNo. "Crime" is a legal concept. A crime at law is something for which the state is authorized to punish you. If you do something the law says is punishable by the state, irrespective of if you harmed anyone, you have committed a crime. If you plot to rob a bank, even if you do not go through with it and no one is harmed by your deeds, you can be convicted of conspiracy and jailed.
- gnaritas 11y ago> This is the distinction between a crime and something that is illegal. You're language is too loose to be making such distinctions. Crimes have a legal meaning so you can't just use the word crime in its moral sense only without being specific. >On HN people rarely make the distinction because they think something being illegal makes it a crime. HN isn't that dumb. > Gay marriage may have been illegal, but it was never a crime, for example. In the sense you're using the word crime (i.e. moral) you're absolutely wrong, it was a moral crime and gay people were the victims of said oppression.