Criminal rights
Just read this story on the BBC. Is it just me, or is this not further evidence that the world has gone mad?
Maybe I’m getting old and grumpy (yes, yes, all right I am old and grumpy) but surely if you deliberately commit a crime you are forfeiting many of your rights as a citizen. I think it’s reasonable to say that the rights you are giving up vary with crime: not having a TV licence doesn’t mean that you are fair game for police marksmen, for example.
Breaking into a motorcycle shop is unlikely to be an accident. Stealing the motorcycles and driving away on them, even less so. We all know that riding motorcycles is a risky business but if you choose to do it then you must accept the consequences. If you are chased by the police because you are riding away on a bike that you have just stolen, and you have an accident, well TOUGH LUCK. Maybe you shouldn’t have broken in to the shop. Maybe you shouldn’t have removed the vehicle, got on it, started it and ridden away. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. I see no justification for the state allowing you to get away with it, just because otherwise you might hurt yourself.
I’m not criticising the police, the fault is with the policymakers and the courts that award damages to criminals who hurt themselves in the pursuit of their illegal activities.
Just sayin’.
