>>>...
>>>>>>> Hardly, except maybe to those with limited faculties. Tough response to crime is just fine with me. I just don't think capital punishment is part of the equation. It seems like something from the dark ages, or the Islamic states maybe. Am I wrong or we the only "civilized" nation with a death penalty?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Probably not the only, but surely among the last.
>>>>>
>>>>>I think we might still have it for treason. The guy who shot blanks at the Queen, at the Trooping of the Colour, back in the 80s (after which she never more rode out with the Guards), could officially have been topped. In ER I's day it would have been "Off with his head!"
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I was working in London when that happened and remember the guy was charged with violating a specific statute: "Discharging a firearm in the vicinity of Her Majesty the Queen with intent to alarm her."
>>>>
>>>>It was a dumb thing for him to do but I thought the talk of executing him for it was quite an overreaction.
>>>
>>>I wouldn't say "an overreaction". I seem to recall it was stated that he could be ... officially. The offence you cite - I doubt that's on the statutes, per se, is it, but turns out to be what he actually did. I never actually heard that at the time.
>>
>>
>>You didn't hear it, but you doubt it. OK. I believe my memory is accurate. It was striking (to me anyway) that there was such a specific statute and it has stuck with me.
>
>That's why I doubted it. It's almost like a comedy sketch from "Little Britain" where a guy goes into a shop and demands, say, a birthday card to John, with pix of Robins on the cover and a specific greeting. I'll bow to your memory.


I see I got a couple of words wrong....

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9506E0DB1138F936A15755C0A967948260