source taken from UO.UHall


Comment

Sorry for the caps, but that's a real shout.

I've translated most of the recent BNN articles for french audience, and I'm quite worried about the very last one describing the joy of the Britannian citizen about Ricardo's trial and his obvious condemnataion.

It was very hard for me to translate sentences like " I feel it is my obligation to express heartfelt gratitude towards our magnanimous legal system. A system championed with heroes like Casca. A system which eternally strives to keep us safe and secure from our lesser brethren .", as I totally disagree with this statement and I had to translate it in the first person form, using "Je" (I) to say something I'm totally opposed. I also have to say that I was chocked by this indecent way of reporting stories and saddened by such a poor demonstration of journalism.

What has Ricardo done? He stole a precious artefact from the ophidian queen...So what? If any of us had faced the ophidian queen, he would have slayed her and took everything she had on her dead body. If Ricardo have to be sent in jail, we all deserve the same treatment, or even worse.
What's wrong with Ricardo? Can we blame him for opening the door under Terathan keep to let us liberate Inu? Shall we punish him for being greedy and arrogant? (so shall we punish the half of britannian citizens?)
Why is the Royal Council so hurried to hold someone responsible for all the mess with the ophidians, as the Royal guard was just... doing something else when our cities were under ophidians invasion?
I'm sure that a public lynching of Ricardo would please a lot of people, but I really doubt that it could solve any of our problems.

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You may be taking this a little too seriously...

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Au contraire...he is taking it just seriously enough. I say, Free Ricardo! Free Ricardo!

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no!! I'm not taking it too seriously...
I'm just joking! There is nothing serious in killing the only legendary lockpicker ever seen in the history of Britannia just because some people want to see someone punished...

Maybe we could cut his hands and place them in vesper's museum for a little "souvenir"

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Draconi UO Designer

If I were being tried for high treason and war crimes, I'd certainly want someone to take it seriously


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First off, as I stated in another thread, I personally consider Ricardo to be innocent until proven guilty. If he is found guilty however, I believe he should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Now, what makes us different from Ricardo. Those of us that went to Tokuno and retrieved the lost treasures there did indeed have to take the lives of the creatures that possessed them in order to do so. But we did so at the request of the Empress. Those that go to Doom and the fandancer dojo and steal the items there have, to my knowledge, broken no law. Those that slay the various creatures of our land do so without breaking any laws. You could say that our actions are immoral, but they are not in violation of the law.

Those that murder others are banished to the land of Felluca. Those that attack others in the presence of guards are dealt with immediately and decisively by the guards. They are dealt with as the law of the land dictates.

There have indeed been invasions in the past where nobody was blamed for causing them and punished. Perhaps the reason is that it was the invaders choice to invade our land and was not caused by the actions of any one individual from our lands.

Even if others have actually broken the law in doing things similar to what Ricardo is charged with doing does not mean that if found guilty he should be let go. I do not feel commiting a crime because others commit a crime and get away with it is justification to avoid punishment.

I think it is premature to say that Ricardo is either innocent or guilty until the information is actually brought out in his trial. There may still be missing pieces to this puzzle. Perhaps Ricardo is guilty of the crimes against him, perhaps he is a pawn in someone elses grander scheme. It may be possible that the Ophidians were planning an invasion anyway and just used this incident as an excuse to begin. After all, what was up with the blackrock pillars and that odd gate in the keep anyway?

There are still many unaswered questions to this whole ordeal. Questions that must be answered before an informed conclusion can be formulated. Simply letting Ricardo go free because someone else stole a candle from doom or killed an orc and stole his gold is not justice. Letting Ricardo go free because he is innocent of breaking the law would be justice. Punishing him for being guilty of breaking the law would be justice.





SO...what do you all think about RIcardo?

Is he innocent of murder or guilty as charged ?..tabby

Free Richardo! Yes, certainly. I know his employer.

I wonder who that can be?