[jambutty]

Originally Posted by blazey

I went to a catholic school where everyone was punished for someones bad behavior. It made everyone hate the person who had had us punished, who in turn felt so ashamed that they didn't do it again, at least not for a long time.

Obviously you could be stood outside a shop doing no harm but if your friend decides to cause problems then yes, do something that punishes EVERYONE who stands outside shops so it doesnt happen again.

Obviously if you aren't there with your friend who commits the crime then no, 10 years in prison is stupid. Thats just a stupid example to use.

There is no need for ANYONE to be stood outside a shop, and so the mosquito deters EVERYONE, whether they are causing a nuisance or not. Whilst I think the idea of punishing all in this sense is a good way of deterring the behavior and putting a stop to it, I voted BAN on this poll, which is obviously anonymous to you, because I think the mosquito idea itself is not fully thought through, hence why i mentioned the effects on babies who often have no choice but to be left outside a shop.

Just because the practice has been to punish the whole class for the demeanours of the few for ages, it doesn’t make it just or right. This practice is wrong – full stop.

How about withdrawing every person’s Incapacity Benefits because of the few fraudsters? That is no different.

Sadly all schools use this practice, or should that be malpractice, but all it does is alienate the students. They don’t grass up the miscreant in the hope that s/he will be so ashamed that they don’t do it again, but because if anyone does, that person will then become the pariah of the group. Or alternatively the troublemaker is either the class bully or one of his/her lieutenants so no dares to speak up.

In this country it is every person’s RIGHT to walk or stand and talk on any PUBLIC land and that includes the pavement in front of a shop or your own front door for that matter. Ever heard of window-shopping? Imagine, if you can, a 12 years old has got some birthday money and is stood outside the shop window trying to decide on what to spend it on. Is it fair that his/her ears should be assailed with a disagreeable noise? The answer has to be an unequivocal NO!

No matter how you dress it up targeting everyone for the actions of a few can never be right, regardless of your protestations. You just won’t admit it.