Turning arsonists in, and moral implications thereof

[Winston Smith]

Today I saw some friends of a friend. I reacted really strangely to them, alterting like a dog, and being really stern and whatnot. I almost got into a fistfight with one because he called me stupid, which is completely out of character for me. Something in his tone, something so egotistical as to be almost sociopathic really irked me at a deep level. In darker times of my life I was like him.


Turns out he and a friend were responsible for this:



I have their first names and descriptions. I can get their last names in a matter of days.

The friend through which I met these humans is loath to turn them him... methinks from fear of a backlash. I however am not.

What course of action do you guys recommend? Should I wait to get their full names, then call, or do it as soon as possible? Should I call the nearest police station or what?


I think burning a children's play structure is evil, personally, and I am determined to see the people who did this meet their justice.

More later.

[stevelyn]

I would call ASAP and give them as much information as you have. You can always call again once you have more pertinent info.

[wmenorr67]

Call with what you have and tell them you can get more info in a matter of days.  Most communitites have a crime tip and/or arson hotline.  You can either call or go by either a police or fire station.

[Nathaniel Firethorn]

Arson kills. Call.

- NF

[Sindawe]

Call.  Willful destruction of somebody else's property is wrong.

[griz]

Call. Besides being dangerous, arson in young adults is a warning sign. Call.

[Art Eatman]

Call ASAP.

Art

[roo_ster]

You have the right instinct.  Call.

[The Rabbi]

Don't call.  Did they pose a danger to you personally?  Did they damage anyone?  If you call and the police arrest them then you are engaging in prior restraint, one step towards the Gulag.  If they arent affecting you personally then you have no right to interfere with what they are doing.

Oops, sorry.  I was stating the Libertarian position.  Yes, of course you should call.  We all have responsibilities to our community and these guys will end up doing something really bad.  I dont see it as a question.  It does take bravery on your part but that is called "character" in most circles.

[jefnvk]

Phewww, Rabii, you just about had me going.

Call.  Even taking that Libretarian positiion, they destroyed someone's property, that person probably wants them taken care of.

[Iain]

C'mon Rabbi, they damaged property, that's like sacriligeous to libertarians or something.

Call.

[Justin]

Don't call.  Did they pose a danger to you personally?  Did they damage anyone?  If you call and the police arrest them then you are engaging in prior restraint, one step towards the Gulag.  If they arent affecting you personally then you have no right to interfere with what they are doing.

Oops, sorry.  I was stating the Libertarian position.  Yes, of course you should call.  We all have responsibilities to our community and these guys will end up doing something really bad.  I dont see it as a question.  It does take bravery on your part but that is called "character" in most circles.

"Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."


-------------------------
Winston- Speaking as a small "l" libertarian, you should call.

[Guest]

Is the damage to private or public property?

[grampster]

Does your community have an anonomous crime hotline?  If so, use it, give the info and let the authorities make the case.  THey will keep the info confidential.

[charby]

turn them in, tell the police that they might have reprocussions back to you for turning them in, as stated earlier if these punks need to be stopped now  or they will commit some more henious crimes later, well they probably will anyways.

charby

[Sindawe]

Now now, Rabbi, Justin.  Play nice.

[Justin]

Hey, I'm just doin' it like the Rabbi would, callin' it how I see it.

Ya know, keepin' it real.

[Zundfolge]

Well I see The Rabbi has burned up all the moral high ground he had after slapping my hand in the Peter Jennigns thread. :p


Rabbi clearly doesn't know what a Libertarian or libertarian is.

Property rights are paramount in the libertarian worldview and nobody has the right to destroy property that is not theirs ... as such even the "worst" of the libertarian crowd would be on the horn to the po-po turning these reprobates in.

[Standing Wolf]

I think burning a children's play structure is evil, personally, and I am determined to see the people who did this meet their justice.

You've got the right idea. I trust you'll take action P.D.Q.

Incidentally, the vast majority of arsonists are decidedly sick people. The sooner they're confronted, the greater the chance they'll be able to amend the evil of their ways.

[Winston Smith]

Rabbi, Justin, I'll thank you to keep that out of this thread.

I called today with what info I had. I will call later when more comes.

I have no fear of these guys. If they were tough, they'd be mugging people. As it is, they are just pyros.

SW, you and I are thinking the same thought... once again.

This is a neighborhood crime, and I could be seeing these guys in the neighborhood... I think I'm going to have get back to carrying a staff, which I'm trained to use.

[Winston Smith]

So after a lot of pressing my source to give up more info, I got more information and called it in, with full names, addresses, physical descriptions, time and place of the crime, possible motives, etcetera.

Thanks for your support.

Ill keep you updated on the catching/trial process and/or their search for retribution.

[brimic]

Good choice.

If you hadn't turned them in, they would be pissing their pants with glee after setting someone's house on fire in the near future.