FORMERLY Great Britain is more insane than I thought

[makattak]

Apparently, criminals safety is more important than a terminally ill woman's.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1380753/Farmers-fury-gipsy-death-threats-999-results-legally-held-guns-confiscated-case-retaliates.html

Apparently doing anything other than calling the police when people are trespassing and destroying your property constitutes being "aggressive."

I thought nothing (f)Great Britain did could shock me. I'm still in awe.

[kgbsquirrel]

The patients are running the asylum. It makes me wonder if their typically polite demeanor is the only thing that has held up a violent insurrection at this point.

[longeyes]

This is a cultural disease, probably terminal.  I suspect it may be a form of cultural PTSD after two world wars cut the heart out of the nation (and seriously depleted its DNA).

[HankB]

It sounds very much to me as if the police were "on the take" and in cahoots with the "travelers." (In fGB, is't "Traveler" a PC euphemism for "Gypsy?"

If you think THIS is bad, read this story:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42779407/ns/world_news-europe/

A musician was arrested - ARRESTED! - for singing the old hit song, "Kung Fu Fighting."  Not for copyright violation, but because an Oriental man & his mother who were walking by were offended, and that they were "subjected to racial abuse" because of the song.  

You just can't make up stuff this crazy . . .

[longeyes]

Anyway, not to worry, they'll have a new young King soon enough and all will be well.  Oh no, wait, that's the United States...

[griz]

So they told her she should have calmly backed away and called the police to have the travelers removed. The part that floored me was the police went to the "camp" (her neighbors property if I understand it correctly) that night and the next day and THE TRAVELERS WERE STILL THERE!  Even the police are reduced to asking politely to see if a criminal will comply with the law?  Am I even reading this right?

[kgbsquirrel]

Don't forget that "the chainsaw was of no consequence," I guess it's only a threat against life if you own shotgun that is left in the house locked in a cabinet and is never made mention of during the whole incident.

[TechMan]

So they told her she should have calmly backed away and called the police to have the travelers removed. The part that floored me was the police went to the "camp" (her neighbors property if I understand it correctly) that night and the next day and THE TRAVELERS WERE STILL THERE!  Even the police are reduced to asking politely to see if a criminal will comply with the law?  Am I even reading this right?

You would be correct.  The land is owned by the local .gov.

[vaskidmark]

I've given up worrying or obsessing about them.  When (not IF) they are invaded/overrun by whomever there is no chance that our (USA) government will even think about mounting a third rescue effort.

Should those that are in power over here want, for some absurd reason, want to take over control over there, we can just launch a whole flock of missiles at the place.  No need to even consider using the remnants as an emergency landing field.

Sadly the citizenry/subjects will not even stand up for themselves.  Yes, they rightously moan and bewhine their fate since 1996, but nobody seems to be willing to actually do anything about it besides whinging.

They don't want to/will not do anything for themselves?  Then I say "Screw them!"

stay safe.

[Tallpine]

Yeah, if it gets any worse then off duty cops will be rushing into people's houses and shooting them just for carrying an unloaded gun across their own yard 

 

[seeker_two]

I wonder how long until some Brits just forget calling the cops and go S³......shoot, shovel, and shut up.....

[kgbsquirrel]

I wonder how long until some Brits just forget calling the cops and go S³......shoot, shovel, and shut up.....

Presuming they are being successful with the third S, how would you know they aren't?

[Ned Hamford]

Well, I think a more important issue was posted within the article.  If you thought the trespassers and thieves were bad...

"More...
The 'persistent' randy kangaroo terrorising women in small Australian town"

[Boomhauer]

t sounds very much to me as if the police were "on the take" and in cahoots with the "travelers." (In fGB, is't "Traveler" a PC euphemism for "Gypsy?"

Thread drift...gypsys/travelers (it's what they are called over here in the States, too) are a problem in my area. Not quite as bad as methheads...but the Gypsys near Edgefield/Aiken SC keep "getting gyped" a relevant euphemism (and not to mention they are creepy people)

[RoadKingLarry]

So,

Terminally ill woman (noting left to lose?)
Severely abused by the system
payback?

I may be a bit of an anachronism but I will have justice, one way or another.
And being an atheist, I don't rely on back-up for that vengance stuff.
If I was to a point whre I had nothing left to lose I might be of the mind to leave a message.

[HankB]

. . . If I was to a point whre I had nothing left to lose I might be of the mind to leave a message.

(more thread drift) That might be one reason that nobody wants to touch Social Security benefits . . . there are a LOT of oldsters who are still pretty spry and NOT bedridden, and if fed.gov curtails the benefits they were promised for 40+ years of work, they might decide Federal prison is better than living in a cardboard box or under a bridge in their twilight years . . .

I wonder how long until some Brits just forget calling the cops and go S³......shoot, shovel, and shut up.....

I think there actually was some debate on that very topic a few years ago when the courts went after a farmer who shot a yob after the latter broke into his home and attacked him with a club or knife of some sort; people pointed out that he would've been no worse off if he'd simply thrown the dead yob in the boot of his car and dumped him out in the moors . . . even if (a big IF) he got caught.

[CNYCacher]

So,

Terminally ill woman (noting left to lose?)
Severely abused by the system
payback?

I may be a bit of an anachronism but I will have justice, one way or another.
And being an atheist, I don't rely on back-up for that vengance stuff.
If I was to a point whre I had nothing left to lose I might be of the mind to leave a message.

The response to that will be the state deciding that it can't have people with nothing to lose running about on the loose.

[makattak]

The response to that will be the state deciding that it can't have people with nothing to lose running about on the loose.

And they will know who those people are since they provide all the healthcare.

Hey, why not kill (pun intended) two birds with one stone? Terminal diagnosis = put you to sleep (and we'll save money for the IMPORTANT stuff! Like welfare!)

(Note: I don't actually think this will happen. This is hyperbole.)

[roo_ster]

And being an atheist, I don't rely on back-up for that vengance stuff.

<gigglesnort>

Heh.

[PTK]

Thread drift...gypsys/travelers (it's what they are called over here in the States, too) are a problem in my area. Not quite as bad as methheads...but the Gypsys near Edgefield/Aiken SC keep "getting gyped" a relevant euphemism (and not to mention they are creepy people)


Even more thread drift, why is it acceptable in the US to say "I got Gyped", but you aren't supposed to say "I got Jewed"? Always wondered....

[dogmush]

Jews have better PR.

[Viking]

Jews have better PR.

Jews also don't come and do a shoddy, unasked-for asphalting job on your driveway while you're on vacation and then expect to be paid for it (happened here).

[Stand_watie]

Jews also don't come and do a shoddy, unasked-for asphalting job on your driveway while you're on vacation and then expect to be paid for it (happened here).

"Irish travelers" they are commonly called in the US and they may or may not have any Irish or Gypsy in their dna. They are common in Texas, but they are much less agressive, as some "Wild eyed southern boy" with Irish or Romanian or Black or English or Scots blood is a lot likelier to light their butt up with a .30 or .45 caliber piece of lead.

[T.O.M.]

Similar gypsy groups up here in Ohio come around to farms in late summer offering to paint the barns and other buildings, then use paint that is greatly diluted and sprayed on with a paint gun.  Usually, the paint will last until the first hard rain.  they tend to focus on older farmers who may not know better, and pay much more than they should.

For a while, they were using gasoline to thin the paint.  With gas prices as high as they are now, I wonder if they'll find something else to use.....

[MechAg94]

"Irish travelers" they are commonly called in the US and they may or may not have any Irish or Gypsy in their dna. They are common in Texas, but they are much less agressive, as some "Wild eyed southern boy" with Irish or Romanian or Black or English or Scots blood is a lot likelier to light their butt up with a .30 or .45 caliber piece of lead.

Where have you seen these people? 

You don't want to mess with private property in Texas.