In America however...

Tags for this video have been changed from 'QI, british, stephen, fry, arse gravy, da vinci code, witchcraft, witches' to 'QI, british, stephen, fry, arse gravy, da vinci code, witchcraft, witches, santorum' - edited by therealblankman

>> ^NaMeCaF:

In America however...

they were called Communists?

>> ^Fusionaut:

>> ^NaMeCaF:
In America however...

they were called Communists?


No, that's just a red herring...

>> ^NaMeCaF:

In America however...


Our witch acquittal rate is actually much higher. During the Salem Witch Trials, about 150 people were imprisoned for witchcraft of whom about 20 were convicted and executed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials

In America, they're still called communists, regardless of their actions and the word's meaning.

>> ^rychan:

>> ^NaMeCaF:
In America however...

Our witch acquittal rate is actually much higher. During the Salem Witch Trials, about 150 people were imprisoned for witchcraft of whom about 20 were convicted and executed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials


Actually, that article starts out by saying that in the 1692 Salem trials conducted by the Court of Oyer and Terminer "All twenty-six who went to trial before this court were convicted." Or a 100% conviction rate. But the 1693 trials conducted by the Superior Court of Judicature had a very low conviction rate, with only 3 convictions out of 31 trials. Taken together it averages to a 51% conviction rate.

As today there's a big legal difference between being jailed on suspicion and actually being accused of a crime. Harrumph.

Ok, but this video just started out "What happened to three quarters of the people accused of witchcraft...". Clearly those put in jail in the US had been accused. The Wikipedia article even clarifies that far more than 150 people were accused.

Here's the source of that "one quarter" number:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_trials_in_Early_Modern_Europe#Trials

Anyway it's all arguing semantics. The US doesn't really have enough data points to draw meaningful conclusions about the relative witch conviction rate.

>> ^entr0py:

>> ^rychan:
>> ^NaMeCaF:
In America however...

Our witch acquittal rate is actually much higher. During the Salem Witch Trials, about 150 people were imprisoned for witchcraft of whom about 20 were convicted and executed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials

Actually, that article starts out by saying that in the 1692 Salem trials conducted by the Court of Oyer and Terminer "All twenty-six who went to trial before this court were convicted." Or a 100% conviction rate. But the 1693 trials conducted by the Superior Court of Judicature had a very low conviction rate, with only 3 convictions out of 31 trials. Taken together it averages to a 51% conviction rate.
As today there's a big legal difference between being jailed on suspicion and actually being accused of a crime. Harrumph.

Did someone say A$$ GRAV33?