Have You Ever Committed a Crime?

[qwlauren35]

We had a victory in Florida this month with the passing of Amendment 4, re-enfranchising 1.4 million Floridians, up to 40% of Florida's black male population, by restoring ex-felons right to vote.

This is a great thing. However, I wanted to take a moment, a teaching moment, to point out that the reason why this is such a win for black men is because of white privilege. Because LOTS of white people commit crimes, felonies, and either don't get caught, or don't get arrested, or don't get convicted, or are able to plea bargain, because of a biased system of lenience. Lenient police officers, lenient judges, lenient juries. And decent legal representation.

Here is my teaching moment. Shoplifting, drug possession and drunk driving are felonies in many states. People do it anyway. Just for laughs and giggles, take a moment to respond. (Someone pointed out that this is not anonymous, my apologies - but I think you'll be okay.)

21 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	I have shoplifted but I didn't get caught.
	4 (19%)
	I have shoplifted and got caught but I wasn't arrested.
	2 (10%)
	I have driven drunk (over the legal limit) but I didn't get caught.
	2 (10%)
	I have driven drunk and got caught, but I wasn't arrested.
	0 (0%)
	I have been in possession of illegal drugs, but didn't get caught.
	2 (10%)
	I have been in possession of illegal drugs, and got caught but I wasn't arrested.
	1 (5%)
	I have sold drugs/marijuana, but didn't get caught.
	1 (5%)
	I have sold drugs/marijuana, and got caught, but I wasn't arrested.
	0 (0%)
	I have never committed any crime (okay, maybe speeding).
	8 (38%)
	I have committed a felony that is not on this list but I was never caught.
	1 (5%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[greyl]

1. You'd get more response with fewer, less specific options. nt

[qwlauren35]

3. I'll add a generic bullet.

[brettdale]

2. I am in my late 40's

And have never committed a crime.

Unless you can count having tickets to see Garth Brooks in New Zealand in 1994, and
having your seat in BLOCK G, but sneaking into the front row.

[doc03]

4. I passed I can only select one crime

[Adrahil]

5. Hmmm... trying to decide on this one.

I suspect in my misspent youth I may have driven when over the limit, but don't know for sure. I never drove falling down drunk.

Nothing else serious. I did get in a bar fight in my 20's, but it was strictly defensive (asshole was being aggressive to a young woman... me and a buddy told him to stop and he and his buddies decided it was go time... fortunately, an off duty cop came in the bar right as they were swinging on us).

No drugs or anything like that.

[Kablooie]

6. When I was in the 3rd grade some kids encouraged me to steal a bag of M&ms.

I've felt guilty about it ever since.

But when a store put a price tag of 98c on a small microscope that was really $1.98 I bought it at the lower price without any Qualms.

[trueblue2007]

33. i stole underwear and bra when i was 13. my mother had died and i could not talk to my dad

not having a mother when you're a girl is awful. I still feel guilty.

[Snarkoleptic]

7. Maybe you should add an 'all of the above' category

for those of us who were violent and troubled youth.
Sometimes I'm astonished at the crap my white-privileged-ass got away with.
In Illinois, we're a few months away from legalizing recreational cannabis, which is a huge step in the right direction.

[Socal31]

8. This question doesn't work.

The only reason someone would say "no" is because they are ignorant of the laws they broke. If the feds ever want to come after you, you will find out just exactly how many "technical" crimes you commit.

This isn't even up for debate.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

9. Polls on DU are not anonymous. Click the "show usernames" to see how people voted.

[regnaD kciN]

27. BINGO!

That's why I thought this was a really dumb idea the moment I first saw it. Unless you're 100% certain that no one can connect your username to your real identity, answering this poll can be quite dangerous.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

10. This is crazy thing to ask people here

[brettdale]

11. Is this a crime

I was eight years old, a boy had a big bag of marbles. he dropped it and they went rolling
everywhere outside, every kid came in from miles I picked some up handed them back to him,
but then saw a few on the ground and decided to keep them for my efforts.

[CloudWatcher]

12. maybe a war crime

I believed Colin Powell's 2003 UN speech about Iraq WMD's for a few days. Feels like a war crime now.

[Glimmer of Hope]

13. I Googled and found I have a criminal record!

For the one and only speeding ticket I received.

[mwooldri]

14. Thought crime. Yep, definitely committed one of those...

But misdemeanors and felonies? None on my record, and I plead the 5th about what I may or may not have done.

[mwooldri]

15. I used to have a criminal record...

But it's not unusual to lose them while moving...



Hmm... Is owning a Tom Jones LP a crime?

[jberryhill]

36. Good Lord

You should have been hanged.

[underpants]

39. Worth the listen. Funny guy

[underpants]

40. Enjoy

[melman]

16. This poll is ridiculously skewed toward the result you want

There's no options for 'yes I was caught and convicted' etc. As if it's impossible that could happen.

[fantase56]

17. All of the above?

[brooklynite]

18. FWIW - Speeding is not a "crime"; it's a civil infraction.

[Freddie]

19. I tore the tags off a mattress once

[Wintryjade]

20. I have smoked pot way before my state legalized. I would have said hadn't committed a crime,

other than speeding, then read your questions. Booze? Who knows if I was ever "over" the limit. I will tell you though and I have had the conversation in the past. I know, with my privilege, if I did get busted for pot, it would not have amounted to much of anything. I do know what my privilege gets me as far as that is concerned.

Good Op. Thank you.

[Marie Marie]

21. Yes but I'm not confessing to anything.

[Quixote1818]

22. Have done a whole bunch of stuff but mostly in my teens and early 20's

Clean since getting out of college and now I would not want to do anything illegal now.

Shoplifting as a teen, drinking and driving, illegal drugs. I guess that is probably it. Been to jail 3 times but twice was because of clerical errors for tickets I had paid and one was for drinking under age when I was 20.

[TeamPooka]

23. Lawyer. I know my Miranda Rights. nt

[JonLP24]

24. Shoplifting is a misdemeanor in cities local to me

Unless there is organized shoplifting or high dollar value items trafficking stolen items though is the bigger crime. No never shopliftedled even while homeless. All drug possession in this state though is a felony which is ridiculous. The penalties for simple possession can be as bad as kidnapping (class 2 felony).

[SweetieD]

25. Never done drugs, don't drink, and have never stole but I am willing to give others

benefit of the doubt. And I don't think a felony should make you a society outcast.

[TlalocW]

26. Is driving without a license a crime?

If so, I was guilty in middle school of driving a mo-ped every day at 3 in the morning to throw papers.

I've always subscribed to the Penn and Teller philosophy that you can be a really big asshole without crossing any lines that would put you in jail.

TlalocW

[Codeine]

28. I've never stolen, never used any alcohol or drugs,

and can’t think of any crime I’ve committed. I’m quite boring.

That said, felony disenfranchisement is ridiculous and has always been racially motivated.

[jcgoldie]

29. You can get anything you want...

And I, I walked over to the, to the bench there, and there is, Group W's
Where they put you if you may not be moral enough to join the army after
Committing your special crime, and there was all kinds of mean nasty ugly
Looking people on the bench there. Mother rapers. Father stabbers. Father
Rapers! Father rapers sitting right there on the bench next to me! And
They was mean and nasty and ugly and horrible crime-type guys sitting on the
Bench next to me. And the meanest, ugliest, nastiest one, the meanest
Father raper of them all, was coming over to me and he was mean and ugly
And nasty and horrible and all kind of things and he sat down next to me
And said, "Kid, what did you get?" I said, "I didn't get nothing, I had to pay
$50 and pick up the garbage." He said, "What were you arrested for, kid?"
And I said, "Littering." And they all moved away from me on the bench
There, and the hairy eyeball and all kinds of mean nasty things, till I
Said, "And creating a nuisance." And they all came back, shook my hand
And we had a great time on the bench, talkin about crime, mother stabbing
Father raping, all kinds of groovy things that we was talking about on the
Bench.

[mr_lebowski]

30. Ummm ... can I just answer ... 'yes' ... to a fair number of these questions, if you mean 'ever'?

And, 'no' to pretty much all of them ... for ... like, awhile?

[SimpleC]

31. Is there an ALL of the ABOVE option..

[Kaleva]

32. Most options apply to me.

[xor]

34. I robbed a Wells Fargo bank at 383 SW Luder Rd. in Portland, Oregon on Jun 5th 2011

and I was never caught. This is all anonymous, right?


*I should probably make it clear that I'm kidding. Put down your phone, Agent Mike.

[justhanginon]

35. I stole one of those little eraser tops from the F.W.Woolworth

dime store when I was very young. My dad found out, (either my brother or sister ratted me out), took me back to the store and made me apologize and return it to the manager. Thus ended my life of crime at the age of 8 or 9 years old. Funny, that was some 74 years ago and I still remember that.

[Chemisse]

37. I'm not sure how this demonstrates anything, since people of all colors may respond. n/t

[qwlauren35]

41. It is likely

that if someone reads what I have written, they will understand the intent, and people of color will not respond. As it is, I think I've demonstrated something basic with the few statistics that are shown in the poll at this time.

Some people commit crimes and don't get caught. So it is likely that our jails do not represent the true demographics of Americans who commit crimes. They only represent the demographics of who gets caught, who gets arrested and who gets convicted. In a fair society, those who commit crimes and those who get convicted would match up demographically.

We do not live in a fair society.

[Blue_true]

38. I got caught for speeding twice, once in two different states.

Lucky there isn't a national registry of speeders, I would be facing my third strike.

I normally don't speed, just got impatient once and was running late another.

[qwlauren35]

42. On the list of crimes...

If people went to jail for speeding, I'd have seen the inside of a cell more than once. I used to be so bad that I had to go to the "special class". I don't remember which state it was, but they had this one day "scare you straight" class for speeders. They showed a lot of accidents and it wasn't pretty.

[Blue_true]

43. I had to watch those videos in Florida as part of drivers Ed.

Pieces of bodies being picked up and labled. It was scary.