ChatterBank0 min ago
Should the police be armed and capital punishment re-introduced for certain crimes?
85 Answers
http://
In the wake of the recent shootings of the two policewomen is it now time that our police were armed?
And then why stop at that, should capital punishment also be re-introduced for the killing of police officers, children and terrorism?
In the wake of the recent shootings of the two policewomen is it now time that our police were armed?
And then why stop at that, should capital punishment also be re-introduced for the killing of police officers, children and terrorism?
Answers
Best Answer
No best answer has yet been selected by anotheoldgit. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
No & No The actions of one lunatic shouldn't lead to a "knee jerk" reaction.
Incidents like yesterdays are, thankfully, few and far between, but I am sure we are all aware, as are the police, those two PC's won't be the last.
As an aside, given the public reaction to the shootings of Mark Saunders and Mark Duggan, could you imagine what society would be like if every officer was armed?
Incidents like yesterdays are, thankfully, few and far between, but I am sure we are all aware, as are the police, those two PC's won't be the last.
As an aside, given the public reaction to the shootings of Mark Saunders and Mark Duggan, could you imagine what society would be like if every officer was armed?
"In the wake of the recent shootings of the two policewomen is it now time that our police were armed?"
No.
The idea that armed police inherently lower the amount of crime is an emotive assumption and isn't backed up by any solid evidence whatsoever - the evidence from other countries suggests that arming police officers is pretty irrelevant to the crime rate.
"And then why stop at that, should capital punishment also be re-introduced for the killing of police officers, children and terrorism?"
No, because capital punishment has too many severe problems. The current system, as others have said, does require improvement and change. But only a few of the arguments in favour of capital punishment actually work as sound arguments - the most important ones fail too easily for it to be credible.
No.
The idea that armed police inherently lower the amount of crime is an emotive assumption and isn't backed up by any solid evidence whatsoever - the evidence from other countries suggests that arming police officers is pretty irrelevant to the crime rate.
"And then why stop at that, should capital punishment also be re-introduced for the killing of police officers, children and terrorism?"
No, because capital punishment has too many severe problems. The current system, as others have said, does require improvement and change. But only a few of the arguments in favour of capital punishment actually work as sound arguments - the most important ones fail too easily for it to be credible.
Davethedog
/// No & No The actions of one lunatic shouldn't lead to a "knee jerk" reaction. ///
Yes I agree with your 'knee jerk' reaction point, but when does it no longer become such a reaction, when the next police killings occur or the next or even the next ones to that?
There comes a time when the bullet (pun not intended) has to be bitten.
/// No & No The actions of one lunatic shouldn't lead to a "knee jerk" reaction. ///
Yes I agree with your 'knee jerk' reaction point, but when does it no longer become such a reaction, when the next police killings occur or the next or even the next ones to that?
There comes a time when the bullet (pun not intended) has to be bitten.
Old Git
<when the next police killings occur>
they are thankfully rare events and as already established, no more common than in the 1950s
<There comes a time when the bullet (pun not intended) has to be bitten.>
When is 'biting a bullet' ever a good idea when all evidence suggests it will not achieve anything?
That is just silly and a distraction from measures that might actually achieve something.
As already posted, the police and their senior officers are also of that opinion.
<when the next police killings occur>
they are thankfully rare events and as already established, no more common than in the 1950s
<There comes a time when the bullet (pun not intended) has to be bitten.>
When is 'biting a bullet' ever a good idea when all evidence suggests it will not achieve anything?
That is just silly and a distraction from measures that might actually achieve something.
As already posted, the police and their senior officers are also of that opinion.
Well it seems a definite 'NO' and 'NO' from my fellow Abers, even though the answer is 'YES and 'YES' from those most involved.
http://
http://
-- answer removed --
Fred...
\\\\According to a survey of policemen , cited on the Wright programme this morning, 56 per cent of officers would resign the force if ordered to carry a gun.\\\\
They may say that....but would they?.....what employment could be guaranteed in this socio-political climate?......public sector pensions almost guaranteed.................I would doubt it myself.
Also you survey quoted means that 44%, nearly half either didn't know OR wouldn't quit if they were armed.
Arming Police.........a definite yes from me.
The death penalty.........No. from me.
\\\\According to a survey of policemen , cited on the Wright programme this morning, 56 per cent of officers would resign the force if ordered to carry a gun.\\\\
They may say that....but would they?.....what employment could be guaranteed in this socio-political climate?......public sector pensions almost guaranteed.................I would doubt it myself.
Also you survey quoted means that 44%, nearly half either didn't know OR wouldn't quit if they were armed.
Arming Police.........a definite yes from me.
The death penalty.........No. from me.
Aog surely those most involved are the Police and they are against.
There is no guarantee that the officers yesterday would be alive today if they were armed. Those that deal in illegal arms, those that carry them and are prepared to use them should face much stiffer penaltys.
In this case though, and its pure supposition by me, I suspect this guy knew they were going to catch him and he shot the PC's so he could be a "big man" in prison. As I said lunatic.
I do understand your point entirely, but if we go down that street do we than arm the citizens, to protect themselves. No thansk we have become to much like the US in my lifetime for me to stomach as it is.
There is no guarantee that the officers yesterday would be alive today if they were armed. Those that deal in illegal arms, those that carry them and are prepared to use them should face much stiffer penaltys.
In this case though, and its pure supposition by me, I suspect this guy knew they were going to catch him and he shot the PC's so he could be a "big man" in prison. As I said lunatic.
I do understand your point entirely, but if we go down that street do we than arm the citizens, to protect themselves. No thansk we have become to much like the US in my lifetime for me to stomach as it is.
Old Git
I won't refer to you in that way again
I have continued to do so because I always genuinely thought it was a reasonable way to abbreviate your user name (as i do with everyone) and was (mostl times) used with no malice intended.
You have asked me not to before but I think it was usually when we were in the middle of some 'ruck' or other so I stuck with my own preferences.
Your polite and reasonable request duly noted AOG
Have a good (argumentative) afternoon
(NB rights reserved to revert to previous name use if author's finer feelings are abused)
I won't refer to you in that way again
I have continued to do so because I always genuinely thought it was a reasonable way to abbreviate your user name (as i do with everyone) and was (mostl times) used with no malice intended.
You have asked me not to before but I think it was usually when we were in the middle of some 'ruck' or other so I stuck with my own preferences.
Your polite and reasonable request duly noted AOG
Have a good (argumentative) afternoon
(NB rights reserved to revert to previous name use if author's finer feelings are abused)
I have stated previously that if I was the father of one of these two poor women, I would, as an emotional reaction, want their murderer to suffer.
But - as i have also stated previusly - laws are created with an absence of emotion, and thank heavens for that - anything else leads to viglanteism which cannot ever be condoned.
The absence of capital punishment does not logically inform the decisions of anyone capable of murder - surely as the ability to murder walks in a mind's door, the ability to think reasonably about potential conequences climbs out of the window.
That leaves aside fundamental human nature - no individual commits any crime however serious, hoever trivial, if they think they stand a better than even chance of being caught and punished.
But - as i have also stated previusly - laws are created with an absence of emotion, and thank heavens for that - anything else leads to viglanteism which cannot ever be condoned.
The absence of capital punishment does not logically inform the decisions of anyone capable of murder - surely as the ability to murder walks in a mind's door, the ability to think reasonably about potential conequences climbs out of the window.
That leaves aside fundamental human nature - no individual commits any crime however serious, hoever trivial, if they think they stand a better than even chance of being caught and punished.
Latest Posts
Are We Heading Towards Another...
Politics5 mins ago
ChatterBank9 mins ago
Quizzes & Puzzles12 mins ago
Film, Media & TV16 mins ago
Related Questions
Sorry, we can't find any related questions. Try using the search bar at the top of the page to search for some keywords, or choose a topic and submit your own question.