Execution

I heard the news that police are considering the use of rubber bullets and potentially considering lethal rounds in the case of rioters who are instigating arson attacks.

I had said it before and I will say it again.  If a 2 year trial looking at evidence with an intelligent judge, intelligent lawyers and a fair jury is not deemed to be reliable enough to support capital punishment then how do we expect a policement in the heat of a riot to make sensible judgements as to who is either going to commit a crime with potentially fatal consequences or has just done so.  At what point does the policemen decide to kill?

Even the Stokewell incident should prove that with survellance and intelligence and undercover support there is still room to shoot the innocent guy.

The other (almost commical notion) was that police with rubber bullets would be allowed to shoot at children and aim for the belt buckle.  Again, in the heat of a riot one has to wonder whether the accuracy will be there to enable them to reliably hit.  The consequences of a miss are fatal (probably more so on a child).

Take that 'police permitted to shoot rubber bullets and lethal rounds at rioters' headline and then imagine it in a Syrian newspaper about their government.  Shock horror, human rights, etc etc.   On man's rioter is another man's protestor.