said by Rob :

If you own a home, and you lease it out, and multiple people inform you that the people leasing your home are using it host sex with children, you wouldn't do anything about it?

Your response would be "landlords don't have the duty to police the way tenants use the home" ?

I doubt it very much. I bet you'd be the first one there, with a shotgun, a baseball bat, and ready to kick some ass.

said by DVOOR8 :

Wow, that is perhaps the most ignorant statement I have seen. I would do the right thing and contact the proper authorities and handle it like someone who cares about the outcome. I am not going to try and battle crime myself nor launch my own investigation for publicity which is what this was.

said by Rob :

Where does it become your responsibility? Never?

said by jhboricua :

If the evidence is there, why would the authorities ignore it?

said by Matt :

they feel justified in taking action themselves.

said by amigo_boy :

I wouldn't mind seeing a more militant mindset among Americans. We paint ourselves as patriotic, the home of the brave, etc. But, if you travel through other parts of the world, they have a much stronger expression of such traits. For example, in Latin America it's not uncommon to have annual demonstrations, often violent. Or, for labor sectors to shut down the country. Or, to walk through the main airport and find demonstrators disrupting operations (for better working conditions). It's all accepted as part of how society works. That it's better than "staying in line, and waiting for the authorities to take care of something."

Occasionally we read stories about a group of neighbors who beat the heck out of a burglary (or child molestation) suspect before the police arrive. Everyone gets a tingly feeling about that. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing some episodes like that involving corporate executives.

said by MyDogHsFleas :

If you are being serious (which I doubt), I certainly don't want my country to be lke that.

said by S_engineer :

If thats the case (an I do understand the desire), then we should be marching on wall street and dc with pitch forks and torches in a scene reminiscent of Frankenstein.

said by amigo_boy :

For people who take the US founders' rhetoric seriously, the Latin American model is closer to the mark. For example, Jefferson's admonishment that this country should have a revolution ever 20 years(?).

Mark

said by S_engineer :

But human right violations are an integral part of the latin American model. Are we too supposed to emulate that?

said by Rob :

And what if the authorities did nothing? You would just ignore it?

Just let them continue to do what they do without taking any action?

Where does it become your responsibility? Never?

said by amigo_boy :

I agree. And, you have to admit, if we validated such "justice" we'd probably see more caution among execuctives (as it pertains to AIG's lavish parties after taxpayer bailout. Or, obscene differences in compensation.).

I'm not saying I'd prefer such a society. But, I'm not sure I prefer a society where it seems like people get away with anything, and have no shame, because the masses don't seem to be ashamed by *anything*.

When I'm in Latin America and see workers lawfully protesting inside the airport (not just silently walking in circles, but making violent, disruptive noise using musical instruments) it makes me wish we were a little less tolerant of things that should make us angry.

Mark

said by amigo_boy :

We used to. And it took behavior considered "uppity" by those who liked the status quo. Latin American tolerance (even encouragement) of popular protest is part of preventing such abuses. Silence would likely lead to resurgences of dictatorships.

Like I said. I like our calm, content, orderly society. It has its benefits. But, it has its downside too. Such as abusers who feel there's no limit to popular "norms" (acceptance = validation, etc.).

Mark

said by amigo_boy :

For example, in Latin America it's not uncommon to have annual demonstrations, often violent. Or, for labor sectors to shut down the country. Or, to walk through the main airport and find demonstrators disrupting operations (for better working conditions). It's all accepted as part of how society works. That it's better than "staying in line, and waiting for the authorities to take care of something."

said by S_engineer :

Unfortunately, theres not too many of those regions left.