There were probably more sadist in the teaching profession as well back then. Corporal punishment has been proven to be wholly inefficient.

I can't say how long it will take to dissuade thefts, but I can tell you that in a mere "blink" the guy that gets shot or his estate will probably own not just the shooter's car, but also the house and bank account of the shooter. Home owner's insurance won't cover the civil liability so the personal assets of the shooter, including the gun, will be transfered.

I'd go with garden hose about 5 minutes after having called the cops.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

I definitely have mixed feelings on this whole thing. I don't like the idea of police officers shooting crooks over property issues and I don't like the idea of the justice system maiming and torturing criminals as an act of revenge.

OTOH, my tolerance for private citizens killing criminals over property issues is much more lenient. Also, I have a fairly high tolerance for aggressive interrogation and extra-judicial killing by clandestine and covert forces.

I'm not sure why my beliefs segregate that way. Any comments?

B

That sounds like a normal response and sort of in line with how I feel. The private citizen/homeowner is pretty much alone, w/o backup and the luxury of time to sort out what to do, unlike the justice system.

Times of war also aren't going to be able to offer the same sort of luxuries as one would expect in peace time.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K