Oresai
11-25-2008, 05:45 AM
The following is a Scottish news story. What struck me first, was that I`m so used to reading about thuggish teens doing the deed, so it was a surprise to see the attacker was a smartly dressed forty year old.
Then in my usual trawling through the online morning papers, I saw at least three other instances of attacks on vulnerable folks.
What that made me think was, we tend to view violent crime as more prevalent nowadays. But is it? Surely unprovoked attacks on people have been happening since humanity began? Isn`t it just a case of, we have more available media in order to report such things now?
I`d be interested to hear if others really believe that violence is increasing?
I studied archaeology, one thing that was apparent is that humanity has always been warlike. Conflicts, for whatever reason, took part in every age of mankind, somewhere around the known world. And on a smaller scale, personal conflicts happened too...family feuds, drunken brawls, fights to the death born of greed, lust or hatred..whatever the reasons, many we`ll never know, they did happen.
In the history of the nations of Britain, one can see varying degrees of violence throughout, and view through archaeology and documented historical tracts, how well or badly prepared for such things the common man was. There are periods in history where brutality was the norm and the peasant had none or little recourse to justice. Where many people were forbidden to defend themselves, in fact, in the face of aristocratic whim....
and many times also where the common man preyed with depressing regularity upon one another, a cesspit of discordance and territorial posturing quickly forgotten as the next generation rose and took up arms in the name of their own, often petty, causes.
The world can seem a frightening, brutal and hostile place. (well, yes, in fact it often is :) )
but I don`t truly think it`s any worse, or better, than at many points in the past.
However, I do think our means of responding to, and defending ourselves from such brutalities, are more limited than ever before, when we are forbidden to bear arms, and when the law actually favours the attacker over the victim. Mad, mad world, no? :)
source, The Daily Record online.
Exclusive: OAP battered by thug as he stands outside pub for a smoke
Nov 24 2008 By Keith Mcleod
PENSIONER Alex Goodwin was battered in a vicious assault as he stood outside a pub smoking.
Alex, 74, was attacked for no reason by a smartly dressed man aged around 40 who had followed him outside the pub.
Other drinkers ran outside to stop the vicious beating and tried to grab the thug but he managed to escape.
Alex suffered shocking injuries in the unprovoked attack.
The assault happened outside the Doublet bar in Kelvinbridge, Glasgow, on Thursday evening.
Alex was taken to the city's Western Infirmary, where he was treated for serious facial injuries.
Detective Constable Iain Wilson appealed for witnesses and said the attacker was dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and dark tie.
He added: "This was a nasty attack on an elderly, vulnerable member of the public who was simply minding his own business.
"The suspect had been drinking in The Doublet since 4.30pm on Thursday and is believed to have engaged in conversation with the victim prior to the incident. When the victim went outside to smoke, he assaulted him for no apparent reason."
Meanwhile, police are investigating three attempted murders and a gun robbery in less than 24 hours in Johnstone, Renfrewshire.
In the first incident, at 1.15am on Saturday, two men, aged 39 and 44, were assaulted outside the Silver Tassie on the High Street as the pub was closing.
The older man was last night seriously ill in hospital while the other was released after treatment.
The suspect is white, in his mid-20s and of stocky build, with short, fair hair and he was wearing grey clothes.
At about 2.45pm that day, a 34-year-old man was injured in a gang attack in Maple Drive. He was "seriously ill" in hospital last night.
And at 3.20pm, a man armed with a gun robbed a card shop in the High Street, escaping with hundreds of pounds.
Then in my usual trawling through the online morning papers, I saw at least three other instances of attacks on vulnerable folks.
What that made me think was, we tend to view violent crime as more prevalent nowadays. But is it? Surely unprovoked attacks on people have been happening since humanity began? Isn`t it just a case of, we have more available media in order to report such things now?
I`d be interested to hear if others really believe that violence is increasing?
I studied archaeology, one thing that was apparent is that humanity has always been warlike. Conflicts, for whatever reason, took part in every age of mankind, somewhere around the known world. And on a smaller scale, personal conflicts happened too...family feuds, drunken brawls, fights to the death born of greed, lust or hatred..whatever the reasons, many we`ll never know, they did happen.
In the history of the nations of Britain, one can see varying degrees of violence throughout, and view through archaeology and documented historical tracts, how well or badly prepared for such things the common man was. There are periods in history where brutality was the norm and the peasant had none or little recourse to justice. Where many people were forbidden to defend themselves, in fact, in the face of aristocratic whim....
and many times also where the common man preyed with depressing regularity upon one another, a cesspit of discordance and territorial posturing quickly forgotten as the next generation rose and took up arms in the name of their own, often petty, causes.
The world can seem a frightening, brutal and hostile place. (well, yes, in fact it often is :) )
but I don`t truly think it`s any worse, or better, than at many points in the past.
However, I do think our means of responding to, and defending ourselves from such brutalities, are more limited than ever before, when we are forbidden to bear arms, and when the law actually favours the attacker over the victim. Mad, mad world, no? :)
source, The Daily Record online.
Exclusive: OAP battered by thug as he stands outside pub for a smoke
Nov 24 2008 By Keith Mcleod
PENSIONER Alex Goodwin was battered in a vicious assault as he stood outside a pub smoking.
Alex, 74, was attacked for no reason by a smartly dressed man aged around 40 who had followed him outside the pub.
Other drinkers ran outside to stop the vicious beating and tried to grab the thug but he managed to escape.
Alex suffered shocking injuries in the unprovoked attack.
The assault happened outside the Doublet bar in Kelvinbridge, Glasgow, on Thursday evening.
Alex was taken to the city's Western Infirmary, where he was treated for serious facial injuries.
Detective Constable Iain Wilson appealed for witnesses and said the attacker was dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and dark tie.
He added: "This was a nasty attack on an elderly, vulnerable member of the public who was simply minding his own business.
"The suspect had been drinking in The Doublet since 4.30pm on Thursday and is believed to have engaged in conversation with the victim prior to the incident. When the victim went outside to smoke, he assaulted him for no apparent reason."
Meanwhile, police are investigating three attempted murders and a gun robbery in less than 24 hours in Johnstone, Renfrewshire.
In the first incident, at 1.15am on Saturday, two men, aged 39 and 44, were assaulted outside the Silver Tassie on the High Street as the pub was closing.
The older man was last night seriously ill in hospital while the other was released after treatment.
The suspect is white, in his mid-20s and of stocky build, with short, fair hair and he was wearing grey clothes.
At about 2.45pm that day, a 34-year-old man was injured in a gang attack in Maple Drive. He was "seriously ill" in hospital last night.
And at 3.20pm, a man armed with a gun robbed a card shop in the High Street, escaping with hundreds of pounds.