An Englishman’s home is his castle?

The British government wants to give a man who shot a burglar a longer stay in jail because he poses a threat to the public — that part of the public that happens to be engaged in burglary. Government lawyers say burglars ‘need protection’. So as to the government, a burglar is someone who can be put in jail, but as to the rest of us, he’s just another member of the public to whom we owe the same obligations as to everyone else. Makes sense if you believe in an absolute distinction between government and people, with the people as passive clients in the custody of the government.
Posted by Jim Kalb at May 10, 2003 11:34 AM | Send