What kind of world do we live in?

Its almost sad to say, but I somewhat expected it. The Police have charged Virender Singh, owner of the Liquor shop in Otara that was held up the other day with two charges of "injuring with the intent to injure" after he knocked about two youths from a gang of 5 who tried to hold up his store last week.

I understand the need for a reasonable amount of force to be used. But in that situation...how would you have known what force to use and what would have been reasonable? You are in a situation where your life is being threatened, you have something to fight back with...use the damn thing. Do you think that Mr Navtej Singh the poor shop owner who was shot and killed, if he fought back, would he have been charged if he had shot and killed in defence of his shop?

If some punk tries to break into my house not only does he have myself and two grumpy dogs to contend with, they have my wife who is 6'2" and from America to get through. Be assured, they won't walk out unscathed, if they walk out. Be damn assured that if someone wants to break into my home, I will defend it. That is no threat...that's for sure a promise.

This is simply a sign that the terms 'victims rights' mean little in the scheme of things. It seems that an offender is being seen to be a victim. I say that because the shop owner, has been charged first publicly. We've not heard if the two crooks who did the damage in the first place have been brought up on charges yet.

Let me look at this another way.

• Teachers are banned from using the strap in school...school discipline now is at its worst level in history. More suspensions, expulsions, standing downs than ever before.
• Parents are now barred from using reasonable force discipline on their own children...family discipline flies out the window...parents have no means of discipline over their kids as even a time out corner or groundings can be considered abuse and a breach of their civil rights.
• An idiot last week is on the front page of the Waikato Times claiming some degree of Police brutality after road racing in Te Rapa, failing to stop for police officers in a marked car, driving over the alcohol limit, in an unregistered and unwarranted car, and had to be chased down to stop, you wonder why the Police were a little over zealous in their approach?
• Shop owners are charged for defending themselves and their businesses after young kids walk in with knives? I wonder what would have happened if the kid walked in with a knife and the kid had a gun pointed at him? Charges would have likely been laid as well against the shop owner.

I would actually like to have the Police explain what reasonable force is to a point where a jury if it was required could make a black and white determination over if it was or not. I highly doubt they could.

This is just stupid. It will never go to a jury trial, he may get fined but even that is an injustice. Someone needed to do something and now, unfortunately our Police force are making Mr Singh a public example for the wrong people. It is just showing to the young criminals, that I can get away with this if I walk in there and they beat me up. So what I threatened him, so what I was going to steal from him. So what, I was under age and going to steal booze. To me, that's a consequence of what they were going to do.

Drop the charges. Its not worth it.