a long, long time ago ...

Gentlefolk,
     We've recently had some discussion of whether the spontaneous death penalty is something that civilized nations do, and whether uttering the word "terrorism" is sufficient to overturn the bedrock presumption of innocence that is supposed to be the basis of our legal systems.  This was occasioned by the killing of a Mr. deMenzes in London, recent enough to remember but long enough ago that the general public has forgotten.
     We now know this:
"Police officers from the team involved in the fatal shooting of Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes did not believe he posed 'an immediate threat'."
source:  http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1553440,00.html?gusrc=rss

     Yet again, the point is made that a mistake in the death penalty is irrevocable.  In this case, an arrest and a trial would likely have avoided that mistake.
     Yet again, the kill-first-and-ask-questions-later mentality was dead wrong, whether in the guise of Bin Laden and his ilk or besuited usurpers in Washington D.C. or bobbies with guns.  

     Also from the article:
"For reasons as yet unclear, members of the firearms team have yet to submit their own account of the events to the IPCC. The two members of the team believed to have fired the fatal shots are known to have gone on holiday immediately after the shooting."

     Right.

     So next time that we have a chance to weigh in, whether with our votes or otherwise, maybe a few of us will consider again the words of Benjamin Franklin, posted on this board not long ago, as wiser than the anti-liberty mentality.

best regards,
Clark Iverson


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