Heavy Sentences

[AtW]

Is this a quiz or what?

No, it's not quiz - I totally hate those.

Thanks for explanations...

[d000hg]

Would somebody get 19 years for importing alcohol illegally?

If it was worth £millions, maybe. But so what even if they don't. Importing something legal in an illegal way and importing something highly illegal... different IMO.

[Mr.Whippy]

19 years isn't nearly enough imo.

But if you're after sentences that are far too severe, here's one BBC News - Christmas squatter is jailed for six months

[ThomasSoerensen]

Read the small print in the judgement - it was either 19 years or being sent to Australia...

I didn't know they still sent people to Australia as a punishment.

It should only be for murderers, it's only fair.

[aussielong]

I think these sentences do not reflect what most people in the UK would think appropriate for importing cocaine.

The UK is swimming with the stuff and its quite cheap now. Everybody's at it, from builders to teachers to traders. They love the stuff and 99% of them do not have a problem with it.

Shouldn't the sentence reflect how offensive the crime is perceived in society?

[EternalOptimist]

If I came home and caught the postman kn0bbing my missus, I would put a coat over his bum to keep it warm and dance around clapping and cheering 'hooray, the post has arrived at last'


on second thoughts, my postman is a postwoman, so maybe I would lose control after all.

[d000hg]

I think these sentences do not reflect what most people in the UK would think appropriate for importing cocaine.

The UK is swimming with the stuff and its quite cheap now. Everybody's at it, from builders to teachers to traders. They love the stuff and 99% of them do not have a problem with it.

Shouldn't the sentence reflect how offensive the crime is perceived in society?

A good parent won't simply give children all the sweets they can eat because "they want them". Shouldn't a government act in the same way, looking after their voters and acting in their interests even when the voters mightn't like it?

[AtW]

A good parent won't simply give children all the sweets they can eat because "they want them". Shouldn't a government act in the same way, looking after their voters and acting in their interests even when the voters mightn't like it?

No, it can't act because parents don't get elected by children unlike Govt... oh wait!

[VectraMan]

A good parent won't simply give children all the sweets they can eat because "they want them". Shouldn't a government act in the same way, looking after their voters and acting in their interests even when the voters mightn't like it?

Which is why democracy is a fundamentally bad idea.

[xoggoth]

Organising a major plot to smuggle £4.5m is hardly comparable to some addict smuggling a bit in for him and his mates or some drug mule who is playing a small part. Waste of space, 19 years seems fine and might make others think again.

Shouldn't a government act in the same way, looking after their voters and acting in their interests even when the voters mightn't like it?

Great if they did but look at governments around the world and there is little sign of enlightened or sensible leadership, only self interest, egotistical empire building and grandiose idealism. The idea that our rulers have enlightened viewpoints over issues like the EU and immigration is an illusion arising from the fact that they simply choose different allegiances and define their predudices in different ways. If you give government the power to decide what is best for the people what is to stop them acting any way they want?

We need real democracy. People know instinctively what they want and a broad consensus of Sun readers is a better guide to what works in society than the unworkable ideas of an educated elite.