Act like a prick, Jim: blame the victim

[imomus]

"Leave it on show, expect it to go," advised a sign I saw near The Mall, London, the other day. While it's touching that the Metropolitan Police are composing poetry to help members of the public stay alert and vigilant, it struck me as a kind of dangerous fatalism. While I don't expect the London police to reverse Britain's worsening Gini rating or even actually prevent and solve crimes, it did seem a bit irresponsible of them to suggest that theft and display were one and the same thing.

It seemed to chime with the odd attitude expressed in an article I read in a British newspaper about an elderly couple who'd been murdered by robbers in their home. While everybody interviewed said what a sweet old pair they'd been, walking into town arm in arm, they were unanimous: these were people you'd almost expect to get robbed and killed, considering what an affluent area they lived in and how old and sweetly defenseless they were. It was almost some sort of Darwinian inevitability that such folks would get chopped up.

Being a bit of a poet myself, I decided to sit down and write some other slogans the police could use to warn people of the viciousness of modern Britain. Here are some ideas for posters that could be displayed around the British capital. Perhaps you could add a few of your own.

Wake up to reality, expect criminality.

Increase inequality, expect an armed robbery.

Where folks don't have jobs, expect to get robbed.

Walk visibly breasted, get quickly molested.

In a land with high GINI, wear three bikinis.

Show us some ankle? Now you'll get strangled.

One inch of thigh, one hour till you die.

An uncovered head, Allah strikes dead.

Say something clever, get ready for bovver.

Walk down your driveway, die by a drive-by.

Stay all day in bed; wake up, you're dead.

Get on a plane? Your life's down the drain.

You died having sex? What did you expect?

Somebody killed you? Not much we can do.

Comments

[bricology.livejournal.com]

I don't have any idea what the situation is like today in Britain. The last time I was there (15 years ago) was on my honeymoon, and my wife and I were traveling around for a few months in a small RV. We were in a car park late one night, and could hear two somewhat drunk fellows being boisterous near the back of the vehicle. Suddenly, our RV shook as one of them jumped on the bumper. I hopped out in my pajamas and--in my best Yankee manners--said something like "what the fuck are you doing?!". I've could never have expected that the two big, drunken blokes would fall over each other in apologies to me for having disturbed us; and yet they did.

Britain certainly always felt safe to me.

I must guardedly agree that crime in America and the general laxity of the Police leaves many Americans with the unpleasant necessity of owning a gun. I've lived in very isolated areas of the countryside, and the reaction time of the Police would simply be too long to be able to protect one from home invaders. There's simply no other option.

I don't think that the private ownership of guns per se is the problem. After all, in places like Switzerland, where most men own a gun, crime and gun use is extremely low, and in nations like Taiwan or South Africa--where guns are more difficult to legally obtain and are more prohibited--violent crimes are common.

But America is like a "perfect storm" of many isolated areas with no Police coverage, a criminal justice system that focuses mainly on punishment, the glorification of violence in the media, and--sadly--a large number of people who believe that crime is a valid way to get out of poverty. Put those together and to not own a gun puts one at a lethal disadvantage. It's not a risk I'm willing to take, seeing what I see every day on the streets of my neighborhood.

[jermynsavile.livejournal.com]

"isolated areas with no Police coverage" - can't say that I would disagree, hence my use of the word 'generally'.

What I said about perceptions of gun use in Britain in particular and Europe in general are true however. Despite the glorifying of gun use (and, more commonly, knife use) amongst some young kids and young adults who worship hip-hop culture the majority of Britons see gun possession as a sign of weakness rather than strength. But we have different traditions and different perceptions of what constitutes heroism so that isn't particularly surprising.

Even our police officers still vote en masse to limit gun use amongst their ranks (though a recent high profile Texan recruit jumped ship after the death of a colleague. He stated that he wasn't willing to go on the streets without a gun - despite the fact that deaths on duty amongst Britain's police are still remarkably rare (36 officers murdered in England, Scotland and Wales since 1985 - 12 have been killed by vehicles, 11 shot, 10 stabbed and three died after being beaten). I would be happier if it was nil, but guns are around and there is no use denying it.

The total number of murders using firearms in Britain 2004-5 however was 73. It's quite hard to find out the numbers of death by gunshot in America, the most recent number I could find was in 2000 when 10,801 died. Suicides by gunshot more than doubled this figure. The widespread ownership of guns in America doesn't seem to make anyone much safer.

I do recognise the truth of what you say of course, guns aren't the only issue and "a criminal justice system that focuses mainly on punishment, the glorification of violence in the media, and--sadly--a large number of people who believe that crime is a valid way to get out of poverty" sounds about right to me.

I think what I found most ludicrous about our good friend cerulicante's typically inaccurate and dispeptic comments is that it assumes a bunch of assumptions about Britain that are in no way supported by fact. His political bias is so great he just can't help himself. I shouldn't have bothered to react however, he is quite evidently a complete nutter and shouldn't be indulged.

Your feeling when travelling over here is pretty much correct. Of course there are areas that are dangerous - I've lived in at least one of them, and spent a great deal of time in many others - but the majority of Britain is still much as you describe. It doesn't mean that I won't eventually fall victim to criminal intention, but that is still largely a matter of bad luck. It doesn't change the fact that we live in a country that feels pretty safe most of the time.

Making guns illegal not only matches the public mood but seems to make sense to us. If he thinks that makes us sheep all I can say is "Bah", or is that "Baaaa".

[bricology.livejournal.com]

I think it's only sensible that the legality of gun ownership be a matter for the people to decide in anything like a democracy, and especially so in places *other* than democracies.

I come from a rather liberal--er, "progressive"--past, but the older I get, the more I see that as being a rather naive view that presumes that all Americans will be law-abiding if left to their own devices. All it takes is to live in a somewhat dangerous neighborhood (as I do) to disabuse one of that notion. Here in San Francisco--one of the most "safe" cities in the US--we've already had 42 homicides this year, and 37 of those were with guns used in the commission of a crime. Our population is about 3/4 million, so statistically speaking, every San Francisco resident assumes a 1 in 10,000 chance of being killed with a gun this year, probably as the victim of a crime. If the current rate holds, a life-long resident will make that more like 1 in 135 or so of being killed, and many times that of being robbed, raped or wounded with a gun. That's sobering.

Clearly, in the US, the horse has already left the stable, and closing the gate now isn't going to get it back in. Simply put, criminals here will _always_ have access to guns. There aren't enough law enforcement officers in the US to protect the citizenry from these criminals, so the only option left to us is to protect ourselves as best we can. And sadly, pepper spray or martial arts are pretty useless against an assailant with a gun. That's the reality we have to deal with. And while I've not yet had to defend myself with a gun, I know people who have. The statistics of people who have successfully foiled an attempted crime by brandishing (or even using) a gun are difficult to find, but I'm sure they bear out the idea that owning one is sensible for many people. Again, that's why American police departments recommend people own a gun for home protection.

[jermynsavile.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't describe myself as a liberal but certainly come from a --er, "progressive"--present but am glad to report that I don't share the belief that all Americans and/or Britons would be law-abiding if left to their own devices. I think that the 'liberal' view you describe is, from my experience, shared by economic liberals as well as social liberals (if restraints on free market capitalism were only relieved then everything and everyone would be OK). Don't believe either position.

Sorry to hear that you feel the need to carry a gun, but understand perfectly why you might feel the need to do so. What you say won't stop me visiting America - the company is too rewarding - but it makes me happy to be living here with the sheep!

[bricology.livejournal.com]

Oh--I don't often *carry* a gun (it's been more than a year since I had the circumstances where I needed to, and that was only for one night). But I do own a .410 shotgun loaded with dove shot, that's light enough for my wife to use, should I not be home at the time, and it lives in a safe hiding place inside our home. We've had a few break-ins in our building, and knowing how long it would take the Police to arrive, it's reassuring to have it. Believe me--I wish we didn't need it! I would gladly exchange my access to private gun ownership for a drastically lower crime rate (say, like in Japan).

Speaking of British sheep--have you ever been to Big Sheep (http://www.thebigsheep.co.uk/) in north Devon? It's a theme park all about sheep. We visited on our honeymoon, which happened to be just after lambing season. Sheep races (with stuffed lambs riding jockey), lamb feeding, sheepdog trials, etc. Great fun.

[jermynsavile.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it, but if I had I certainly would have remembered it!