GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Boundary crossing deterrents(was tree cat damage)

04-01-2004, 05:34 PM

(Mike Lyle) wrote in message . com...
Rusty Hinge wrote in message ...
The message
from (Neil Jones) contains these words:
(Nick Maclaren) wrote in message
...

And, in all cases, you are required to use only reasonable force,
according to the circumstances. If those burglars had gone tooled
up, Martin would never have been charged.

What the hanging, flogging and burglar-shooting brigade don't realise
is that the doctrine of reasonable force is primarily to protect the
innocent. If burglars know that they are likely to be shot at whim,
some will not do it and others will carry a gun and shoot first.
Those are, after all, the only rational behaviours.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Of course. It is no accident that some one with a Cambridge University
email address like Nick is saying this. It is a classic example of the
hang 'em and flog 'em brigade being unable to see the broader picture
and having a mode of thinking which research has shown is associated
with poorer performance in intelligence tests. :-)

Nick is one of the last people I would accuse of being part of the hang
'em and flog 'em brigade.

I would advocate that you do a little more lurking before you label
everyone who posts here.

I think you're being unfair there, Rusty: Neil seems to me to be
*agreeing* with Nick, and contrasting his remarks with the hang 'em
and flog 'ems.

Mike.

That is correct I was agreeing with Nick.
Neil Jones
http://www.butterflyguy.com/