Why hundreds of Seattleites would be in jail -- if this were Italy.

[pnwmom]

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2011/02/why_hundreds_of_seattleites_wo.php

Edda Mellas and Curt Knox, the parents of Seattleite-turned-dubiously-convicted-murderer Amanda Knox have just been indicted on libel charges in Italy for telling a British newspaper that Italian police abused their daughter during an interrogation. They now face up to three years in prison. It's a similar charge as the slander accusations Amanda herself is facing for talking the same shit about the cops. Meanwhile, here in Seattle, verbal and written trashings of the local police force are as common as a light rain drizzle and as healthy as an apple a day.

Why, just this weekend a rally downtown drew hundreds of protesters, most screaming obscenities about SPD officers being racists and some holding a massive banner reading "A.C.A.B." short for: "All Cops Are Bastards."

Or there's David Rengo, the man who's repeatedly accused known "Mexican piss" stomper Ofc. Shandy Cobane of choking him in the back of a police car.

There are websites aplenty in which SPD is routinely called a corrupt and racist organization

Add that to the host of critical stories published on this site and others, in which accusations--well researched, but not always proven beyond a doubt--are thrown around without a second thought that in a country like Italy they could get us tossed in jail.

SNIP

[leftstreet]

1. On the upside the espresso would be better

Seattle coffee capital of the nw but it always tastes burnt!

[pnwmom]

2. I can believe that. n/t

[dipsydoodle]

3. But its not Seattle : it is Italy

and yes Italian coffee is better too.

They can't even say they were joking - the parody defence isn't worth a toss outside of the US.

[pnwmom]

4. The coffee wouldn't be a good enough reason to spend my tourist dollars there.

Or to send any of my kids there, even though my sister enjoyed her year in Perugia. Seeing the workings of the Perugian "justice" system has been quite revealing.