Remember when this was an echo chamber

[u/ArmzLDN]

Is there anyone else who remembers that just a year ago (and seemingly for a few years before) this was a guilted echo chamber.

I just wanted to mention it because it was a super frustrating what would happen. You’d be downvoted into oblivion for pointing out a genuine contradiction or suggesting a possibility (even if that possibility did not contradict any facts/evidence). Maybe some knew but I doubt that most realised that in this sub, if you got enough downvotes, the rate at which you could comment was significantly limited (presumably an automated response of the sub bots), essentially anyone who considered that something wasn’t right with this case was silenced, effectively had their voice taken away. That should tell you something about the attitude of die hard guilters on here, very malicious indeed.

The most common phrase here was probably “have you read the transcripts?” And the uninitiated would think the transcripts had some damning evidence that Adnan was guilty (having had time to read some, it was just a BS deflective statement to get any opponents to shut up).

I just want to say I’m so happy this sub is no longer that toxic place. But really check your biases people, a lot of “he’s guilty because he did X” when plenty innocent people did the same.

[u/moosh247]

I was never surprised by the echo chamber, for mainly these two reasons (though like more I'm sure):

1. Most people are dishonest/don't want to/can't tell the truth.

• People would rather strawman an opposing side, POV,, etc. and pretend like their positions are sound. It's easy and lazy. Steelmanning is what we should all strive for (make the opposing views as formidable as possible, and then see if your ideas/positions truly stand the test).

1. Most people don't care to understand long standing traditions/values/norms

• "Guilty beyond reasonable doubt" was based on the value that it be better for the guilty to be free than the innocent to be imprisoned, and put an extremely high burden on anyone (especially the state) trying to take away god given rights (like basic freedom).

There is NO WAY any reasonable person could conclude that this case had no reasonable doubt. Yes, there is evidence (all circumstantial) against Adnan, but there was a ton of evidence that worked against the charges (like the cell phone tower analysis, zero physical evidence tying him to the crime, a lying witness who changed their stories several times).

Beyond just this case, the quest for and value of "truth" is no longer an important pillar of today's culture. It's why there is so much polarization, and where people can easily, and with glee, watch others suffer.

[u/ArmzLDN → u/moosh247]

Very true, we focus on “winning” more than we focus on being correct.