6/28/2009

9/2/2011 6:49 PM

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Marauder

Charlie Stross, a science fiction writer I'm rather partial to, has recently wrote something on zombies that I think could add to our discussion. http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2011/09/zombies.html It's about an interesting new take on the whole idea of zombies. It's a zombie concept that I'd love to see made into a story more than the bullet-to-the-brain zombie stories that are everywhere.

If someone stops being an asshat then the people that haven't blocked him will let you know. So after So-And-So grows up, if he wants to say something profound, then maybe someone you haven't blocked will tell you, "hey, So-And-Son's been talking sense lately." Then you unblock him.

I do this on Xbox Live all the time. Any time someone says something I don't like I mute and block the guy. It's made my gaming much more pleasant. Having a blocking feature on this site would be nice, too (not that I get any spam or trolling).

I like it. Very Zen.

Robin was being punished right up until that moment. That up-until-now punishment is a separate issue. But as soon as The Sheriff got it in his head that he can free Robin or continue the punishment then it became another issue entirely. Robin's future imprisonment is now a threat. It would have continued had Maid Marion done nothing, sure. But once the offer for sex is made then all the future of Robin's jail time is now a threat used against Maid Marion. Before that moment, his imprisonment was his own fault. After that moment, it was both his own fault as well as leverage to force Maid Marion to have sex without her consent.

Would it still have been a business deal if The Sheriff refused to release Robin Hood afterwards?

It is possible to be a polite, factual rapist. He doesn't have to act horrible to be threatening. He just has to threaten. And you're right that Robin would have been in jail any way. That's the point. The Sheriff can free him or keep him in jail. The choice is his to make. So he threatens to choose to keep Robin in jail. Besides, she didn't offer to have sex with him. She went to beg for Robin's release. She offered nothing but then was made to choose between The Sheriff or Robin Hood.

So you're saying that threatening a loved one doesn't count as duress?

The Sheriff certainly did #1 on that list. The duress comes in the form of his power over Robin Hood. He would punish Robin (by keeping him in jail) unless Main Marion had sex with him. In other words, The Sheriff said "do this or I'll hurt your loved one." Also, your official definition irks me. The first part says "unlawful compelling." The law may say it is perfectly legal to force yourself upon another person (the way it used to be that it was legal to have sex with your wife even without her consent) but it is still rape.

No, I'm not assuming that. Robin Hood could be the worst criminal in the world. He could be the love child of bin Laden and Hitler who murdered and raped his way across England. That doesn't matter at all. Who Robin Hood is, what he has done, the legality of his imprisonment, are not relevant. All that matters is that Robin's life is now in The Sheriff's hands. And Maid Marion wants to save Robin Hood (Robin the Saint or Robin the Devil, doesn't matter).