The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Rastus on August 09, 2011, 06:09:16 AM
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Why all the riots in jolly old England?
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Radio edit. :-X Immigration policy, maybe its important.
FQ13
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I refer anyone who cares to the prophet Enoch Powell's "Rivers of Blood" speech for which he was roundly reviled and subsequently fired from Ted Heath's cabinet. Trouble is he couldn't have been more correct.
I still hold a British passport but it will be many years, maybe all my years before it sees any use.
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Part of the endgame of an entitlement culture - same thing happened in Greece, but at least they waited until the cuts actually happened. The wankers in England are rioting because the cuts in entitlements were announced.
The "official" excuse is the killing of a guy by police. The leftoids in the UK are blaming Cameron's announcement of cuts of course.
Immigration is a part of it, but I saw one report where Turks in one section banded together and kept the riots out of their area.
Weak police force, more concerned with "feelings" rather than doing actual police work. Like shooting rioters torching stores with people in it.
Anarchists - the modern violent kind, not the more intellectual kind that sits around sucking up the benefits of a Capitalistic society while disdainfully decrying Capitalism - or any -ism for that matter. No, these modern anarchists love to create mayhem and cause damage. And they are allowed to - see previous comment re' police.
I saw a map of the London area, there were well over 2 dozen incident flags - and that is just London. It's spreading to other cities as well. People have been saying London was the most violent, dangerous city in the "civilized" world - and damned if they weren't right.
I gotta go find that wanker on another board who haughtily told me that London was perfectly safe, the reports of the violence were all overblown.
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I refer anyone who cares to the prophet Enoch Powell's "Rivers of Blood" speech for which he was roundly reviled and subsequently fired from Ted Heath's cabinet. Trouble is he couldn't have been more correct.
I still hold a British passport but it will be many years, maybe all my years before it sees any use.
I read the book "The Empire Strikes Black" in grad school in my early twenties. It was about racism against afro Britians and Pakis in the UK, and how culture was often used as a code word for race. I read Powell's speech and thought he was a racist A-hole at the time. Now, in my early forties? I think he had a point. :-\ But what I really think is that the tragedy is that the common ground was missed, just as its being missed here. Allow immigration. Just limit the numbers per year and insist on assimilation. Screw multiculturalism. It sounded good, but its suicide. I don't care about skin color, but if you don't like the culture of your host nation go elsewhere, we aren't changing for you. We should realize that by now. Sadly, it might be too late here as well.
FQ13
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Sad photograph of a young man is removing his clothes and giving them to the masked assh... that is robbing him. Another of a young man (student) surrounded by gang members and being robbed. I believe I have read that in Great Britton it is illegal to even defend yourself from these punks.
We see the beginnings of this same thing here in the US.
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MARTIAL LAW: That didn't take long did it!
http://www.realnewsreporter.com/?p=7138 (http://www.realnewsreporter.com/?p=7138)
COMING TO A NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR YOU SOON!
Listen to that first thing said a few times there.
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The BBC had a video of 2 girls drinking stolen wine at 9am. Saying were going to show the conservatives, the cops and everyone that we can do what ever we want.
The reporter asked why were they burning down their own part of town. LOL
Just like east LA riots. At least burn down the RICH part of town. Never ceases to amaze me.
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I've wondered the same thing 2How. "Man, we aren't to take it! We gonna burn down the hood! That'll show 'em. ::") And hell, in England its not even like they need to worry about getting shot if they hit the richer parts of town either. They're just lazy I guess.I mean hey, why go down town to loot Harrods and Tiffaneys when the corner liquor store is right there?
FQ13 Who hopes maybe this might change British thinking about SD and firearms
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;D ;D ;D If they had much going on upstairs they likely wouldn't be living in "the hood" to begin with. :-\
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Everyone has their "Comfort Zone"
The probably are used to the fact that the police ain't gonna protect anyone in the hood.
Rich section and you are poking the wrong bear.
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The original spark to the riots is found here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904480904576498540000034196.html
Tottenham, is a primarily black ghetto. The police that patrol this area, are issued firearms, due to the illegal guns and crimes in this area.
By PAUL SONNE
LONDON—As Britons debate the causes of the London riots, more details are emerging about the initial spark that set off the unrest—the killing by police of 29-year-old Mark Duggan in North London last week.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission, an oversight group probing the matter, said Tuesday night there was no evidence so far that Mr. Duggan fired at police before being shot fatally in the chest by an officer in North London last week.
Mr. Duggan died Thursday in an incident that began when police officers stopped a silver minivan taxi carrying Mr. Duggan in London's Tottenham neighborhood intending to arrest him, for reasons not yet clear. Soon after, a police officer from the unit, which investigates illegal gun crime, fired two shots that landed in Mr. Duggan's bicep and chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police recovered an illegal handgun from the car, initially raising questions about whether Mr. Duggan had fired on one of the officers. Also raising questions was the fact that a police officer's hand-held radio was struck by a bullet. But that later turned out to be from a bullet from another police officer's gun.
A police officer from the unit, that investigates gun crime in the black community, was also shot, but not killed.
"At this stage there is no evidence that the handgun found at the scene was fired during the incident," the IPCC said in a statement Tuesday. Forensics experts are carrying out more tests, but they may not be able to say for sure whether the illegal handgun was fired, the IPCC said. It is also conducting a broader probe into the incident.
The fatal shooting—a rare occurrence in the U.K. because police generally don't carry guns—has led indirectly to riots across London.
On Saturday, a crowd of protesters that included Mr. Duggan's partner, Semone Wilson, gathered in front of Tottenham's police station, demanding that a high-ranking official address questions about the shooting.
Hours later, the underprivileged North London neighborhood erupted into violence, as rioters attacked police cars, smashed windows and set fire to a double-decker bus and a carpet store.
Since then, copycat riots have spread to other areas of London and Britain.
Mr. Duggan's death, however, has become a forgotten footnote rather than any sort of cohesive rallying cry. His family has condemned the riots.
"We're not condoning any kind of actions like that all," Mr. Duggan's brother, Shaun Hall, said in an interview on a British news channel. "There was a domino effect from that, which we don't condone at all."
Ms. Wilson, Mr. Duggan's partner, and Mr. Hall have also denied reports in the British press describing Mr. Duggan as a gang member.
Ms. Wilson criticized the police's handling of the incident in a TV interview on Monday.
"There's a lot of angry people out there. People who don't even know Mark are angry at the way it was dealt with," she said. But she added: "It has got out of hand. It has gone way past. It's not connected to this anymore, I don't think."
The Metropolitan Police welcomed the update from the IPCC in a statement on Monday and said it was doing everything possible to assist with the oversight body's investigation of the fatal shooting.
*****
Methinks somethings certainly afoot, and the "Bobbie's" are not releasing all the details....
Pretty much "whitey shootin' brotha's" whether the BG was a gang member, or was in possession of an illegal firearm is irrelevant.
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Have you guys seen the headlines saying "Europe is counting on Germany to save them now."
Oh, how the worm has turned!!! ;D ;D ;D
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Germany basically tells English tourists "Don't even think we're going to put up with your BS here!" ;D
http://www.thelocal.de/national/20110809-36845.html (http://www.thelocal.de/national/20110809-36845.html)
And they've already reported Italy can go suck wind. Germans won't be wasting any money their butts out! :) Mmmm, the vindication tastes sweet! ;D ;D ;D
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Does anyone really expect much else when a country has had successive nanny state communist governments? The scumbags and dreggs of society now expect to be cared for and not have to work for a living, at the slightest opportunity these parasites will leap at the chance to steal, loot etc all under a glorius pretence of civil rights for which it is most definately not.
I can see my country heading this way too, maybe not tomorrow or next year but give it time, it will come.
Personally I think the police should be given the right to shoot all looters on sight and if they resist shoot them again, none of this shields and battons shit going up against hooligans with petrol bombs. Saiga shotties and 00 loaded buck should be standard issue and 25 round mags. I wonder how gusty these bastards would be then charging at even 6 guys armed with semi auto shotguns, my guess not one of the bastards.
I feel sorry for the poor innocent bastards who can not defend themselves against roaming gangs of thugs, least i know i could do so with the equipment I have at the ready, I would rather be judged by a group of my peers than carried out toes first by my friends.
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The original spark to the riots is found here: Tottenham, is a primarily black ghetto.
Everything is explained in that single sentence. Why should England be any different to the way these people react in numbers, than anywhere else in the world? Bill T.
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Does anyone really expect much else when a country has had successive nanny state communist governments? The scumbags and dreggs of society now expect to be cared for and not have to work for a living, at the slightest opportunity these parasites will leap at the chance to steal, loot etc all under a glorius pretence of civil rights for which it is most definately not.
I can see my country heading this way too, maybe not tomorrow or next year but give it time, it will come.
Personally I think the police citizen should be given the right to shoot all looters on sight and if they resist shoot them again, none of this shields and battons shit going up against hooligans with petrol bombs. Saiga shotties and 00 loaded buck should be standard issue and 25 round mags. I wonder how gusty these bastards would be then charging at even 6 guys armed with semi auto shotguns, my guess not one of the bastards.
I feel sorry for the poor innocent bastards who can not defend themselves against roaming gangs of thugs, least i know i could do so with the equipment I have at the ready, I would rather be judged by a group of my peers than carried out toes first by my friends.
FIFY
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You are forgetting that in jolly old civilized England the citizens are not allowed to own guns. How would they defend themselves?
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You are forgetting that in jolly old civilized England the citizens are not allowed to own guns. How would they defend themselves?
That would take some logistics. Letting them use clubs and axe handles without fear of prosecution might get the job done too.
And I didn't forget it... just mentioning the supply line that would be needed wouldn't fit in the FIFY type of post.
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You are forgetting that in jolly old civilized England the citizens are not allowed to own guns. How would they defend themselves?
God willing this will wake them the hell up and they'll start demanding US style laws. I wouldn't mind seeing the NRA using my dues to do a bit of foriegn outreach here.
FQ13
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Made me break out my olde Clash albums. Listened to "London's Burning" and "White Riot". Insane over there. Just hope this crap does not spread to the United States.
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God willing this will wake them the hell up and they'll start demanding US style laws. I wouldn't mind seeing the NRA using my dues to do a bit of foriegn outreach here.
FQ13
Using history as my guide... I don't see the citizens (here or there) coming out ahead on any of this when the dust settles. My prediction is government will just crack down on us harder with more restrictions and laws to guide there herds. :'(
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More likely it will increase the divide. Regardless of the surface changes, society will pull back from the problem areas to more strongly defend the more upper crust areas.
Law, order, and the 21st century inside the gated communities, dog eat dog barbarism in the rest of the urban environment.
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More likely it will increase the divide. Regardless of the surface changes, society will pull back from the problem areas to more strongly defend the more upper crust areas.
Law, order, and the 21st century inside the gated communities, dog eat dog barbarism in the rest of the urban environment.
That's a really good concept / reality I hadn't even thought of. Practical, and makes good sense.
Expounding on that... I might suppose cities having "Private Police Forces" similar to the "contractors" operating on our behalf in Iraq. Even then paying particular attention to some neighborhoods within each city more so than others. Gated communities are already on the up-rise around here anyway.
One city near here that is well known as "The Grand Strand Ghetto", Atlantic Beach, has already fired their entire police force due to "departmental corruption" and their inability to pay them because that city has gone bankrupt from other corruption, embezzling and usual ghetto town issues. All the while Myrtle Beach and other neighboring cities are actually doing well this season!!! :o Atlantic Beach is publicly pleading with the neighboring cities to "adopt" them. ::) >:( ::)
So yeah. What you say is already happening under my nose and I didn't even see it! :-[
http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=647712#.TkKu3mM4nVk (http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=647712#.TkKu3mM4nVk)
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D#$% IT! >:( We could have moved into a gated community for something like another $50 a month and I didn't because only a few months back it "seemed kinda snobby"... GREAT TOM! NOW you make me think about all this stuff! >:( ;)
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D#$% IT! >:( We could have moved into a gated community for something like another $50 a month and I didn't because only a few months back it "seemed kinda snobby"... GREAT TOM! NOW you make me think about all this stuff! >:( ;)
Actually I think I'd prefer to be OUTSIDE the gated communities.
It may not be safer, but it lets you keep more options open unless you are one of the "It's the law" sheep.
While San Fransisco did lose on banning guns in public housing gated communities can institute any rules they want as it is not law you must obey, it is a contractual condition that you agree to when you join.
How many stories have we seen recently about HOA's trying to punish a resident for displaying the American flag ?
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Need a little riot control you say?
http://video.godlikeproductions.com/video/Flash_Bang_Nut_Shot_Vancouver_Canucks_Riot_2011?id=c78017c67eb862914a0 (http://video.godlikeproductions.com/video/Flash_Bang_Nut_Shot_Vancouver_Canucks_Riot_2011?id=c78017c67eb862914a0)
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Brits are considering asking US LEOs for pointers on dealing with riots.
Excerpt:
Britain's Parliament was called back from its summer break for an emergency debate on the riots Thursday, with Cameron promising authorities would get strong powers to stop street mayhem from erupting again.
He said authorities were considering new powers, including allowing police to order thugs to remove masks or hoods, evicting troublemakers from subsidized housing and temporarily disabling cell phone instant messaging services.
He told lawmakers that he would look to cities like Boston for inspiration, and mentioned former Los Angeles, New York and Boston Police Chief William Bratton as a person who could help offer advice.
Bratton said in a statement he'd be "pleased and honored" to provide services and counsel in any capacity, adding that he loves London and has worked with British police for nearly 20 years.
Cameron also said the government, police and intelligence services were looking at whether there should be limits on the use of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook or services like BlackBerry Messenger to spread disorder.
BlackBerry's simple and largely cost free messaging service was used by rioters to coordinate their activities, Cameron's office said.
The government said it planned to hold talks with police chiefs, Twitter, Facebook and Blackberry manufacturer Research In Motion Ltd.
Full link here. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/08/12/man-arrested-over-murder-london-riot-victim/?test=latestnews
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Brits are considering asking US LEOs for pointers on dealing with riots.
Excerpt:
Britain's Parliament was called back from its summer break for an emergency debate on the riots Thursday, with Cameron promising authorities would get strong powers to stop street mayhem from erupting again.
He said authorities were considering new powers, including allowing police to order thugs to remove masks or hoods, evicting troublemakers from subsidized housing and temporarily disabling cell phone instant messaging services.
He told lawmakers that he would look to cities like Boston for inspiration, and mentioned former Los Angeles, New York and Boston Police Chief William Bratton as a person who could help offer advice.
Bratton said in a statement he'd be "pleased and honored" to provide services and counsel in any capacity, adding that he loves London and has worked with British police for nearly 20 years.
Cameron also said the government, police and intelligence services were looking at whether there should be limits on the use of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook or services like BlackBerry Messenger to spread disorder.
BlackBerry's simple and largely cost free messaging service was used by rioters to coordinate their activities, Cameron's office said.
The government said it planned to hold talks with police chiefs, Twitter, Facebook and Blackberry manufacturer Research In Motion Ltd.
Full link here. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/08/12/man-arrested-over-murder-london-riot-victim/?test=latestnews
Apparently the Brits aren't aware of baseballs 3 strike rule.
This would be the last freaking guy I would ask for advice.
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I just love the irony.
For years Liberals have been touting Great Britain as and example of how a civilized country should be run...urging us to follow their example.
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Irony? Just try to imagine how much everyone else in Europe feels going to Germany begging for help! :-[ :-[ :-[
I read one article stating that "Obama demands Germany provide assistance to it's neighbors." Did you get that? "Obama demands"!!! The arrogance of this retarded bastar% is beyond comprehension of any sane human being! I'd love to see Germany publicly tell him where he can ram his "demands". GOD, Obama makes me wish with Hitler had won! >:( >:( >:(
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YES aMERICAN SHEEPLE! "WHY IGNORE THE FACT?"
http://www.realnewsreporter.com/?p=7156 (http://www.realnewsreporter.com/?p=7156)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2024001/UK-riots-2011-London-Birmingham-people-forced-strip-naked-street.html#ixzz1UZ3IlrHS (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2024001/UK-riots-2011-London-Birmingham-people-forced-strip-naked-street.html#ixzz1UZ3IlrHS)
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It's one thing Eric Holder got right, Americans are cowards when it comes to discussing racial issues.
All hail the sacred Porch Monkey !
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http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/general_business/august_2011/48_think_spending_cuts_could_trigger_violence
Nearly one-out-of-two Americans (48%) think that cuts in government spending are at least somewhat likely to lead to violence in the United States, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. But that includes just 13% who feel it’s Very Likely.
Nearly as many Adults (44%), however, believe violence as the result of spending cuts is unlikely, but only 12% say it’s Not At All Likely. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Americans under 50 raise the possibility of violence more than their elders. Most adults not affiliated with either party (58%) think spending cuts are likely to trigger violence, compared to 46% of Republicans and 42% of Democrats.
Tax hikes and a crashing stock market are seen as less incendiary in the minds of most Americans. Thirty-seven percent (37%) think increased taxes are at least somewhat likely to lead to violence, but 59% view that as unlikely. This includes 14% who say such violence is Very Likely and 20% who believe it’s Not At All Likely.
Similarly, 35% feel that it’s at least somewhat likely that a crashing stock market will lead to violence in the United States, with 13% who say it’s Very Likely. However, 60% say violence from a crashing market is unlikely, including 16% who say it’s Not At All Likely.
In early January, following the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the killing of six others in Arizona, 45% of Likely U.S. Voters were at least somewhat concerned that those opposed to President Obama’s policies will resort to violence, but 52% did not share that concern.
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Well, should violence arrive here, I hope to follow Col. Cooper's lead in how to deal with it.
"One bleeding-heart type asked me in a recent interview if I did not agree that 'violence begets violence.' I told him that it is my earnest endeavor to see that it does. I would like very much to ensure -- and in some cases I have -- that any man who offers violence to his fellow citizen begets a whole lot more in return than he can enjoy." -Jeff Cooper, "Cooper vs. Terrorism", Guns & Ammo Annual, 1975
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Pat Condell's latest video expresses his view on the cause of the riots and what should, but probably won't, be done with the offenders.
http://www.patcondell.net/
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Spot on, as usual.
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Pat Condell's latest video expresses his view on the cause of the riots and what should, but probably won't, be done with the offenders.
http://www.patcondell.net/
Another azzhole who actually expects to carry a concealed cop.
He was on the right track but failed to take it to it's logical conclusion.
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Another azzhole who actually expects to carry a concealed cop.
He was on the right track but failed to take it to it's logical conclusion.
Well, he admits to being a liberal, but it appears reality is slowly soaking in.
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Since the national government is reluctant to act decisively, the local authorities have decided to "get rid" of the looters themselves. Seems that in a nanny state society, being "cut off" is a dire punishment.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2024605/UK-riots-Daniel-Sartain-Clarkes-family-evicted-Wandsworth-Council.html
As the article states, even the liberal "Labour Party" officials agree. I guess they realized that the looters don't vote.
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Least some one gets it in Brittain
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Like I posted before, he is on the right track, but he blows it by failing to take his reasoning to the next logical step.
The police can not protect the individual.
Gandhi was wrong. The worst thing the British did was not taking away the citizens guns.
The worst thing Britain did was, through its court precedents, effectively removing the citizens right to defend themselves at all.
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http://news.yahoo.com/britains-tough-justice-alarm-campaigners-161908147.html
LONDON (Reuters) - Tough prison sentences such as four years for trying to organize a riot via Facebook have triggered alarm in Britain that the government's crackdown over last week's unrest may be too harsh.
Britain's Conservative Party, which leads a coalition government, has promised tough action following four nights of violence in London and other cities to mend what it has described as Britain's broken society.
Civil liberties groups, legal experts and some politicians however say that disproportionate sentencing could only fuel a sense of injustice.
"There's no doubt that in certain circumstances a firm sentence is required," said John Cooper, a senior crime and civil liberties barrister.
"What concerns me is that the whole range of the sentencing process has been unduly and disproportionately cranked up ... influenced implicitly or explicitly by public opinion."
Many people in Britain are outraged over last week's rioting and looting that caused widespread damage and was linked to the deaths of at least four people.
Some agree with harsh sentencing, but worry they have been imposed under political pressure.
"You should judge every individual case on its merits and every person on the basis of what they've actually done, rather than this creep toward .... judicial activism, where politicians put undue influence on the judiciary," said Daniel Hamilton, director of Big Brother Watch, which campaigns for civil liberties.
DISPROPORTIONATE PUNISHMENTS
In London, more than 1,000 people have been charged with crimes connected to the riots, which also spread to the cities of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol.
On Wednesday, media reported that a young man had been given a four-year jail term for setting up a page on social networking site Facebook calling on people to riot in his home town.
Another young man received the same sentence elsewhere in England for a similar offence.
No riots broke out in the areas the men came from, and one media report said one of the young men had woken with a hangover the next day, deleted the web page and apologized.
"It's very tempting for everybody to get carried away with the rhetoric and saying we should round up these monsters and deal with them draconically. What you're going to get if you start sentencing disproportionately is all sorts of anomalies," said Roger Smith, director of law reform group Justice.
He compared the young men's four-year prison term to a likely two years for breaking someone's leg in an assault.
Media outlets reported than one man had been jailed for six months for stealing bottled water worth 3.5 pounds ($5.78) from a supermarket looted during the riots.
Britain's Criminal Bar Association said that while it would be wrong to punish all crimes harshly because they were committed during the riots, judges and magistrates should be allowed to give higher sentences for a crime depending on the context in which it was committed.
"Judges are entitled to conclude that these crimes have a number of aggravating features, born from the circumstances of the case, which mean that the sentences can and should be higher," the body's Vice Chairman Max Hill said in a statement.
But others argue that harsh sentencing for less serious crimes devalues punishments for more serious offences.
The Conservatives have defended the harsh sentencing, saying the sentences should act as a deterrent to others.
"What happened on our streets was absolutely appalling behavior and to send a very clear message that it's wrong and it won't be tolerated is what our criminal justice system should be doing," Prime Minister David Cameron said.
But even his coalition partners the Liberal Democrats are distancing themselves from his approach. For less serious crimes, they advocate punishments such as helping to repair riot damage and being forced to meet victims of the disorder.
"Short prison sentences for relatively petty offences go against the Ministry of Justice's own evidence that shows that short prison sentences are very ineffective at reducing reoffending," said Tom Brake, co-chair of the party's committee on home affairs, justice and equalities.
Other critics say also say the zero tolerance approach could be self defeating, given that Britain's prisons are already overflowing at a time of strained public finances.
"We have doubled our prison population since the mid-1990s and seen tougher and tougher measures introduced each year, with an abundance of criminal justice legislation. Yet despite all this, the outcome of being 'tough on crime' was some of the worst street disturbances seen in decades," said Andrew Neilson of the Howard League of Penal Reform.
(Additional reporting by Stephen Addison; Editing by Maria Golovnina)
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I don't know about the facebook pages if no rioting occured. That would be protected speech here. But giving a guy six months for stealing a water bottle? Good! He wasn't sentenced for the water, it was because he was looting during a riot. In a sane country he'd consider himself lucky he wasn't shot. Sentenced to talk to the victims? ::) What, is this kindergarten?
Here's an idea. Bring back corporal punishment. I'm actually serious here. It saves money, hurts like hell, is publicly humiliating, but doesn't disrupt or endanger a convicts life like a jail term. Give them 25 lashes, some community service cleaning up the mess, and a one year suspended sentence and call it a day. They so much as J walk again and its a year minimum.
FQ13
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In a sane country he'd consider himself lucky he wasn't shot. Sentenced to talk to the victims? ::) What, is this kindergarten?
FQ13
Where have you been? It's called "Restorative Justice." I't all the rage with the touchy-feely crowd. It's all about feelings, don't you know.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restorative_justice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restorative_justice)
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Where have you been? It's called "Restorative Justice." I't all the rage with the touchy-feely crowd. It's all about feelings, don't you know.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restorative_justice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restorative_justice)
What if the victims don't want to talk to them? What if they want to kick their asses? Say what you want to about Iran, but they somtimes get it right. Oddly enough, their rate of recidivism is rather low. ;)
FQ13
Court orders blinding
An Iranian man who was ordered to be blinded for carrying out an acid attack on a woman has been pardoned by his victim, state television has said.
Ameneh Bahrami had demanded qisas, a rarely used retributive justice under Sharia law, but the report said she had forgone that right at the last minute.
A court had backed Ms Bahrami's demand in 2008 that Majid Movahedi be blinded.
He attacked Ms Bahrami in 2004 after she had refused his offer of marriage, leaving her severely disfigured.
Rights group Amnesty International had lobbied against the sentence, calling it "cruel and inhuman punishment amounting to torture".
Mother's praise
The state television website reported: "With the request of Ameneh Bahrami, the acid attack victim, Majid (Movahedi) who was sentenced for 'qisas' was pardoned at the last minute."
Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote
I had no intention of taking his eyes from him”
End Quote
Ameneh Bahrami
The Isna news agency quoted Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi as saying: "Today in hospital the blinding of Majid Movahedi was to have been carried out in the presence of an eye specialist and judiciary representative, when Ameneh pardoned him."
Isna quoted Ms Bahrami as saying: "I struggled for seven years with this verdict to prove to people that the person who hurls acid should be punished through 'qisas', but today I pardoned him because it was my right.
"I did it for my country, since all other countries were looking to see what we would do."
Ms Bahrami was quoted on Iranian TV as saying: "I never wanted to have revenge on him. I just wanted the sentence to be issued for retribution. But I would not have carried it out. I had no intention of taking his eyes from him."
Mr Dolatabadi told Isna that Ms Bahrami had demanded "blood money", or compensation, for her injuries.
He praised her "courageous act" of pardon, adding: "The judiciary was serious about implementing the verdict."
Ms Bahrami said she had never received any money from the man's family, saying she was seeking only compensation for medical fees, which she put at 150,000 euros ($216,000: £131,000).
She said: "He wont be freed. He has a sentence, which he has to serve for 10-12 years of which he has done seven. Unless the full compensation is paid, he won't be freed."
Isna quoted Ms Bahrami's mother as saying: "I am proud of my daughter... Ameneh had the strength to forgive Majid. This forgiveness will calm Ameneh and our family."
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Hate to dig up an old thread, but I thought this article was an interesting follow up. Seems like the Brits have been doing this on a regular basis every 30 or so years;
http://www.economist.com/blogs/bagehot/2011/08/civil-disorder-and-looting-hits-britain-0?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/bl/wehavebeenherebeforebritain
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Good find CJ ;D
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LONDON (Reuters) - Tough prison sentences such as four years for trying to organize a riot via Facebook have triggered alarm in Britain that the government's crackdown over last week's unrest may be too harsh.
Many people in Britain are outraged over last week's rioting and looting that caused widespread damage and was linked to the deaths of at least four people.
I would expect a harsh sentence if I organized a riot that caused a buttload of damage and the deaths of at least 4 people.
"There's no doubt that in certain circumstances a firm sentence is required," said John Cooper, a senior crime and civil liberties barrister.
No shit Sherlock. Welcome to reality.