When will it End

[dexterdoglancashire]

I only heard it on the news this morning. How sickening. Well said TonyF. I couldn't have put it better myself.
Bernie aka DDL

[petal]

I have a friend in the police force that says criminals view prison as a holiday camp. There is your answer! Death row and poor conditions might make them think twice? Apparently few will bother with rehabilitation programs where they can do GCSEs and diplomas because they believe no one will employ them when they get out. I do think serial killers and paedophiles ought to be exterminated. There are plenty of parents out there who would press the button, pull the lever. But if we kill them does this make us as bad as them?

[miffy]

I struggle with this, i deal with the results of child abuse in my job, luckily not all the time. Very often it is the result of a cycle of abuse, children have lived in a loveless, violent house and this is learnt behaviour for them.
What needs to be done is to break the cycle, not an easy job. As far as killers and abusers go, i do truely believe some people are born bad, no matter how much you do to them you won't change them. I don't think i could condone killing them as it would go against my beliefs, however i can fully understand why people would feel that way and i can also say if i was on the recieving end of a vile act by one of these people, i.e something un thinkable happened to my beloved son then i cannot say how i would feel.
It can be a truely awful place to live the world, with some really wicked people in it, yet everyday small and beautiful acts of kindness and wonderful things are carried out by people and these do not get reported.
I really worry about what is in store for our kids if the world continues the way it is, i don't have any magic answers to cure this, i just do what i can, one day at a time and i know many others are doing that too.

[sharonr]

If we all thought about other people sometimes, prohaps the world would be a better place.

[digthatchick]

But if we kill them does this make us as bad as them?[/QUOTE]

Quite simply ... yes

[miffy]

All life is sacred, and you cannot really condemn violence if you use it to try and solve it. It would be the same logic as whacking your child in retribution for them hitting their little brother or sister, nonsense.

[maytreefrannie]

Just read this thread and my heart goes out to that three year old, and the mother and her newborn in the face of this awful crime.

What can we do? I agree with those others who say crime should be tackled head on, but sadly I feel most of us feel overwhelmed by these senseless acts.

[beefy]

OK, here's my take on it for what it's worth and as an old time copper who can remember the streets back in the 60s and 70s when this sort of thing was so rare as to be truly remarkable.

No more pussyfooting around, take on these gangs head on. No more 'community service', no more being nice and understanding their poor upbringing and their deprived childhoods.

The members of the gangs/drug dealers/professional criminals have no compunction about using firearms, so give the police more opportun ity to deal with that sort of thing head on. Serving policemen that I know are so frustrated at knicking these scrotes and seeing them effectively walk free, they're not even bothering in some cases.

The kids in the gang in Toxteth involved in the killing of that little lad openly boasted on the internet that they carried guns and they weren't afraid to use them. Ok, they think they're soldiers so treat them like soldiers - they fire at people, the Police fire back. The lads convicted of the crimes associated with it were like feral animals and despite their deprived upbringing and poor schooling, the little b******s were savvy enough to try to destroy the evidence, wash the shooter down in petrol etc etc.

And the shooters name was all over the Internet within a couple of weeks but nobody would give evidence against these rats because they were too intimidated by them - by a gang of what should have been school children!!!!! Frightened by gun wielding school kids - come on, who's the victim here and whos civil right were being impinged if the Police really went for these gang members and took them on at their own game.

And before I'm accused of being a rabid right winger, I'm a life long member of the Labour Party, a member of Amnesty etc etc but really feel that the 'poor offender' approach to policing and criminal justice has to stop.

This has GOT to stop. Although in the 'old days' people complained that the Police were brutal - and some were - at least the streets were safer in general, this sort of violence was incredibly rare and people were not scared by the fear of crime, let alone the reality of crime.

This HAS to be stopped and the namby pamby government reaction - all governments, not just Labour - has let this urban warfare get out of control.

Sorry if this is a bit of a rant - but I can recall when streets were safer, when knife and gun crime was so much more less, especially gun crime - and when the Police and Courts were treated with respect and had some authority.

Exactly what I would say only said better.

[Hilary B]

But if we kill them does this make us as bad as them?

Quite simply ... yes[/QUOTE]

I would call that a terrible over-simplification. There are those who ENJOY harming others. Making a regretful decision that the most effective way to deal with such a person in the one permanent and sure answer, is NOT being 'as bad as them'. The fact of it is that motive is important. Revenge... not in my book, but the pragmatic approach that there are a few (VERY few, fortunately) humans who are just too dangerous and too uncaring about anyone who happens to get in their way, is not revenge, nor 'descending to their level'.

My ideal solution to the very worst offenders would be a 'whole life' prison sentence, in hard (but not positively cruel) conditions, with the option of suicide if they prefer.

I have come across the attitude that 'they should serve their term', well that comes under 'revenge' for me. If they choose the quick way out, and save the taxpayer some money, so be it.