Go to jail, go directly to jail

Apparently it is now illegal to vent frustrations online. Seriously. There is a man in Colorado who has been formally charged with criminal libel. Not one, but two counts. This is in regards to postings he put on Craigslist about his former lover (and mother of his child, apparently). The postings made suggested that the lady traded sexual favors for legal assistance and that Child Protective Services had been called regarding an injury to the child. So for spreading rumors, he has been charged. And these charges carry prison time. Yes, hard-core time in with murderers, drug dealers and child-molesters. So a "crime" that is usually taken care of in civil courts could cost a man part of his life.

Now, the law that is being used to charge this man was written in the 1800's, before internet. These days, there aren't too many people who DON'T vent online, in one capacity or another. Even email could be considered venting online. The posts were written on a section of the website specifically dedicated for people to go on and vent. I have to wonder - how in the world did the lady and her lawyer find out about them? And even if the guy was so dumb as to be specific and name names, how is rumor-mongering worth prison time? Speaking of prison time, what decides the sentence? How many months is "bitch" worth? What about "whore"? And is the time added together if I call someone a bitch whore?*

If the man is guilty of anything, it's criminal stupidity. Was what he did wrong? Yes, most certainly. No one likes to have rumors spread about them, and whether what he was saying is true or not really isn't the point. HOWEVER. There comes a point where common sense *should* come into play. Do we really have the money and the manpower to prosecute something this ridiculous when there are child molesters, rapists, and killers on the streets? Not only that, but what kind of precedent will this set? Suzy calls Lisa a dirty name and Lisa presses charges. Joe implies that Frank is sleeping with the boss...Joe ends up in jail. Really, it's absurd.

When did adults become so much like children? "Mmooooommmmm, he called me (insert name)". Buck up and grow a pair, folks. Life is not perfect, not all people are nice, and things get said in the heat of the moment that may not be right. But then you have the opportunity to be the better person and WALK AWAY. Having someone arrested for a rumor is not gonna *help* the situation, that's for damn sure.

But then, someone arresting the father of their child for spreading rumors probably *isn't* interested in helping the situation, are they?

*Note: NOT my normal language, but you get the point.