Don't try suggesting to me that the looters just need understanding...

[julesjones]

...because I'm going to be walking over broken glass whichever way I try to get into work tomorrow morning. And looking at the reports of what they're smashing up, I may have been too optimistic about it not spreading as far as our street. The looters have managed to do more damage to the city centre than a major terrorist attack did back in 1996.

Comments

[mishalak]

Oh, I would never say that being somewhat conservative about law and order. What they need is a good locking up. Though I will note that when looting and riots happen it can be partially attributed to income disparity and in addition to locking them up it would be useful to see what can be done towards making society less unequal so that things like this are less likely to happen.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

That's scary...

[carl-allery.livejournal.com]

Hope it doesn't get close to you. At the moment, the answer to 'why?' appears to be - because they think they can get away with it. George Dixon's ghost is spinning in his grave ... :(

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

I hope the authorities get it under control soon. Be safe!

[yourbob.livejournal.com]

Actually, the looters just need understanding...that they are thugs, assholes, thugs, criminals, outlaws, beasts, idiots, stupids, criminals, thugs, and thugs. And that they need to be understanding that they should be arrested, drawn and quartered.

And then hurt. 'cause they're thugs.

[esmeraldus-neo.livejournal.com]

I did suggest to someone that riot gear is riot shields and batons, not rifles.

I don't condone this, let me be perfectly clear. And I am very worried for a lot of people.

But I did get into an argument with Torak about what circumstances justify lethal force. I'm actually not used to arguing the other side of that one. :-/

[silly-swordsman.livejournal.com]

Torak's with Rocky and the American Libertarian Cold Dead Hands ideology. I tried to explain to him that a knife was not a defensive tool, too. I find weapons interesting and fun to play with, but wouldn't want to be in a situation where I felt the need to go armed, or had reason to use a weapon on someone else. The weaponphiles (what's the Ancient Greek for weapon, anyway?) are scary because they seem to desire such situations.

As to the original point, the individual looters don't need understanding. They need apprehending, trial, sentencing and rehabilitation (or rather "habilitation", since a lot of these have never been equipped to participate in what we call normal society).

The circumstances that gave birth to the looters need understanding, though.

[julesjones]

However much I might like to see a few of the little shits find out what it's like to be on the receiving end instead of the throwing end of a paving stone, I am firmly of the opinion that the appropriate gear for riot control is manymanylots of police officers in helmets, padded jackets, shields and nasty big sticks. If you have to go to even rubber bullets people who are not directly threatening others are likely to be seriously injured, and as for live ammo, I don't believe in the death penalty for burglary. Live ammo is only appropriate in situations where there's a serious risk of major injuries or deaths if you don't take someone out.

[esmeraldus-neo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't think we're in disagreement here.