> "Michael S. Lorrey" wrote:
>
> > Which is why giving citizens the ability to carry their own guns is so
> > important. There is no surer or swifter, certain or consistent
> > punishment than to be shot by your victim at the scene of the crime. Its
> > the only death penalty that works.
>
> I believe that in the majority of cases where the intended victim is armed, the
> criminal successfully flees.
>
> If you want to insure consistent punishment, I think camera technology superior.
> Cameras can record criminals in the act during all types of crimes (the victem need
> not be present). You don't have problems with victims being caught unaware (even
> armed cops get killed sometimes) or the problem that women tend to have of being
> too afraid to use a weapon. You don't have to send out the paramedics and waste
> space in emergency rooms. You don't have to try to figure out what happened after
> the fact. And your ex-girl friend can't tear her dress, shoot you, and then claim
> you attempted to rape her.
Yes, and to get the best of both worlds, you put cameras and audio
gear on all guns (especially those of law enforcement officers). Cameras
have the potential to almost wipe out crime (certainly when combined
with a fair "swift 'n' sure" justice system, legalization of victimless
crime
etc).
And have you considered the enormous potential of webcams (linked to motion detectors)? They could be used for cheap, distributed surveillance of homes, offices etc. Everyone could watch everyone else, without compromizing anyone's privacy; when you're at home you simply shut off the cam and activate it when you go out. If your house is broken into, the people that are in your surveillance ring will automatically get a notice and the live images from your home, and can then take appropriate measures (call you, call the cops, call neigborhood vigilantes etc.).
If it's a false alarm you see it right away, and no time or money is wasted. Security firms could use the same system to increase their efficiency (and to cut costs -- in fact, almost anyone could start a security firm this way). All you need is inter/intra (for flats/ neigborhoods) net access (the faster the better, obviously), one or more cameras, motion detectors (and perhaps some audio gear for good measure) that are all linked to your computer, and a simple software program to run the whole thing (so that you can alert the proper authorities at the touch of a button etc.).