Rules for use of terms Crank and Perp
I just downloaded and scanned the zip file in the download area titled 'Idiot Legal Arguments'. Even more interesting than the variety of innovative arguments that have been presented to the courts in the course of recent history is the authors use of the terms 'perp' and 'crank'. In searching the document I found 149 instances of perp and 40 instances of crank.
According to dictionary.com perp can represent 'one who perpetrates a crime', an abbreviation for perpendicular (intesting, might represent a living breathing man or woman not in position of repose), in the field of mathematics intersecting at right angles (could fit, aren't these litigants attempting to cut through a century of bs ), in middle english perpendere, to weigh carefully (ok, it could fit, but this is supposed to be the judges job -- author isn't referring to the judge is he???) , and finally in domain theory to represent bottom.
From the same source, crank is defined as 'A clever turn of speech', 'A peculiar or eccentric idea', 'A grouchy person', ' An eccentric person, especially one who is unduly zealous', 'Methamphetamine'. They weren't doing drugs in any of these courts were they?
If we try some substituting. The original sentence --- In (at least) one instance, a crank, having adamantly refused to use a ZIP code in his correspondence --- becomes --- In (at least) one instance, a grouchy unduly zealous person, having adamantly refused to use a ZIP code in his correspondence.
Ok, I could be going a little overboard here to make a point, but the tone of the entire article was colored to the tune that the criminal justice system can do no wrong. Not really a believable message if convinced that it may be broken beyond repair. After all, 6 million Americans with personal experience with this system can't be all wrong, can they?
Ref - Alice in Wonderland; subsection Humpty Dumpty (alias perp) relationship of same to all the kings horses and all the kings men!!
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