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Originally Posted by erps
You're probably safer in the San Juans than in your home town.
Calgary police worried by spike in gun violence
Jack, are your police up there armed? If so, why are they armed? Is it so they can defend themselves? Why does your government allow some people the means to defend themselves, but not others? Is that discrimination? I thought Canadians were against discrimination? |
Most of the handguns used in gang violence in Calgary are smuggled in from the US.
There two broad types of discrimination: rational and irrational. It is ration to expect that firefighters meet certain requirements with respect the physical demands of the job. It is irrational to suppose that women are capable meeting those requirements. When I first moved to Calgary women were not hired by the transit system because it was believed that they did have the strength to dribe such a big vehicle. They has power steering.
In Canada we expect the police to protect us. Yes, they are usually armed. Vigilantes are not welcome. I know that this story will be hard to understand from an American perspective, but the author represented how we as Canadians generally think.
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It is repugnant that there is growing support from across Canada for the Tees area farmer who allegedly shot someone who was allegedly trying to steal a quad from his farmyard. A Facebook page with more than 27,000 members of support has been created. In addition, phone calls and e-mails of support have flooded in for the farmer who appeared in Stettler court last week facing charges, including pointing a firearm, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public, assault, discharging a firearm, dangerous driving and possessing an unregistered firearm.
Vigilante justice does not provide due process rights the accused are afforded in our justice system. Nor are there any checks and balances for cruel or unusual punishment administered by those delivering vigilante justice. Vigilantism is unjust because the vigilante becomes judge, jury and executioner, without any fact finding at all.
Those who commit crimes still deserve to be treated humanely and they have the right to a fair trial. Everyone deserves equal treatment.
It is better to have a police force, even if it is not close enough, than to have no police at all. And it is better to have a justice system, even if it has flaws, than to have no justice system at all.
Vigilante justice often goes to the extreme and can easily go very wrong. What if the Tees farmer had killed someone for allegedly trying to steal from him? Which crime is worse? Theft or homicide?
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No excuse for vigilantism - Lacombe Globe - Alberta, CA
We can use
reasonable force to help prevent a crime.
Different strokes for different folks.
Jack