Well, OK, maybe we’re getting a little medieval and melodramatic here (although we could have said "Off with his head!"). But Londonist’s blood is boiling today, and a Londonist with boiled blood is not a pretty sight.
We are most certainly not alone. The story of a mindless thug who mindlessly punched a 96 year old man in the face because he couldn’t get past him to exit a tram is appalling. And today we learn that the aforementioned mindless thug (Stephen Gordon, 44, of Croydon – he doesn’t have to be nameless as well as mindless), is to be let off the hook with a mindless three year supervision order. Harumph, and other such words.
The pensioner has since lost his sight in one eye and suffered a stroke: attacks on the elderly and frail can effectively destroy their lives and cheat them of their freedom/mobility/confidence. How could anyone do this?
This Londonista has conducted a (mini, informal) poll today, and of the twenty people she asked, not one has disagreed with her suggestion of bringing back the stocks. Crimes of such thoughtlessness deserve proper punishment, and whilst the stocks may not be especially civilised, punching the defenseless in the face on a whim is hardly civilised behaviour.
Right, rotten egg anyone? Come on, orderly queue please….
Piccie courtesy of tompagenet’s flickr stream.
