To be completely sick of the way knee-jerk emotive responses to crimes seem to be part and parcel of British psychology?

[electra]

It happens time and again. Perhaps it is not just here, but it does not seem apparent to me in other countries (although I have never lived anywhere else).

In the face of a great tragedy, there is always a characteristic 'Daily Mail' response, with people calling for the perpetrators to be 'hanged drawn and quartered' and the like (yes I am talking about all the ridiculous groups on Facebook) All this only compounds the awfulness of what has already happened, and clouds the issue of what should mean justice.

It is mawkish and in incredibly bad taste, and what I dislike most of all is that for some people this kind of thing seems to be a hobby of sorts...and they seem to revel in it.

It disturbs me greatly.......

Yes, YANBU. I don't care how awful a crime is, saying that you would like to hurt the people who committed it just lowers yourself to their level.

I saw one particularly distasteful comment recently where a guy asked to be left alone in the room with Baby P's killers, as long as he had a hacksaw and a rope. Makes you wonder how many people think violence is the solution to violence.

I lived in Spain and it isn't exclusive to our country.

I think the reason it comes about is that the population feels that the justice system doesn't give the right punishment for the crime. As in murderers who have been jailed for short periods of time. I'm not sure you would hear that in Non-European countries (where the death penalty is still upheld)

In saying that I don't agree with that sort of violence or the death penalty

I'm not saying all non-european countries have the death penalty just some of them do btw.

Really?

Personally it worries me how people seem swayed by the idea that we should return to a society of medieval barbarity -- sheesh.

Actually, I don't mean this thread to be about this case in isolation, and am aware that there is one thread to discuss it on.

It is a disturbing observation of mine, generally though about how people think. People become almost intoxicated with mass hysteria and all reason and anything that would help goes out of the window.

The are not part and parcel, the media will blow up anything that sells newspapers. Once they find an interesting story they exploit it by using it over and over again, micro-analysing every single part until they find another story. The public are easily hooked and are often wound up as more and more details are published.

This hysteria is so pointless as well, it achieves absolutely nothing. Then there was a thread posted the other night asking people to e-mail their MP about the dreadful situation in DR Congo, and very few people bothered to reply to the thread or even e-mail. When there is a chance to actually do something, many people just don't bother. All they want to do is rant about something they have no control over.

I agree about some newspapers but my observations arise from hearing conversations that people are having, and seeing people behave in ways that are simply irrational in response.

True, TTT.

Isn't it human nature to try and find some comfort in revenge against such awful crimes?
I am not saying that it is right, just not unusual.

Yes, I think it is part of human nature indeed, but there is no comfort to be found in the sort of behaviour I have often witnessed in otherwise 'reasonable' human beings.

It is not exclusive to the UK at all.

In Italy the (perceived) increase of violence is dangerously leading to a vicious and general form of racism.

What is different is that in the UK there are more "tabloids" and more apparent knee jerk reactions.

not just UK, I lived in the US for a bit and some people positvely loved the death penalty.

Isn't it all about bread and circuses, like the Romans? A form of macabre entertainment?

I'm not sure it's just British psychology.

I blame the media. Because they play to the lowest common denominator, they ensure that the most vulgar and simplistic view is the one which dominates public debate.

And yes, for some people, it is a hobby.

Not just a British phenomenon at all!!

I place the blame squarely at the door of those in charge, who think that publishing every gory detail are somehow doing their job ... there should def be a 'need to know' basis to these sort of things..

Somehow, less is more ...

I think though that there's a difference between feeling that punishment should be harsher and actually wanting to be the one that hands out "justice".

e.g. I think that say, an 8 year sentence for killing a child is too lenient a punishment, and I think that the justice system in this country is often far too soft on the most horrific crimes. But while I think that, I certainly wouldn't personally want to have a go, or be the one throwing bricks at the windows of the newly-released paedophile iyswim.

Those people are on a totally different level from the norm.

People seem to latch onto one case and get very worked up (can't sleep for a week etc) even though during that week there are probably 100s of equally bad cases. I agree with being concerned, but it's not the one case we should be so upset about, but the situation that allows such things to happen.

I hate seeing an angry mob begin to form (even an online one) with talk of violence. If they speak of talking to their MP that's okay (someone was even making constructive suggestions to help prevent future Baby P cases and that seemed healthier to me)

As for punishments, I think our justice system is a farce. With some violent criminals given a caution (a telling off) because they don't want to fill the prisons)

I am in favour of the death penalty (in certain cases) but I wouldn't want it to be a spectator sport. Those places that do have it seem to want it to be painful and dramatic when an injection of morphine would do the job. It shouldn't be about revenge, but about removing a clear and present danger from society (like putting down a rabid dog)

I so agree with OP.
This incredibly mindless response makes be both angry and sad. I think it's just so much easier to think of things in black and white, and becomes much more complicated and we just have bear there being no simple answer when we look a little deeper. Some hurt angry children grow up to be hurt angry and hurting adults- but so many people just want to think evil and then we can get rid of them