Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The British Way of Murder
City Journal ^ | 9 April 2007 | Theodore Dalrymple

Posted on 04/10/2007 7:39:19 AM PDT by RKV

Britain is experiencing a spate of murders that suggests a population increasingly unable, or unwilling, to control itself. A recent survey suggested that the British are now more prone to knife-fights than any other people in Europe. Guns have also become fashionable, despite—or is it because of?—stringent laws against them. An emblematic recent murder was that of Krystal Hart, a pregnant 22 year-old, shot with two bullets in the head and then found in her apartment in an up-and-coming part of London, which she shared with her mother.

As with any widely publicized murder in Britain these days, an outpouring of sentiment ensued. Mourners left flowers (still in cellophane wrapping) at the site, and the press conducted interviews with the victim’s relatives, who never seemed too distressed to grab a moment of fame, and who noted that the victim was a wonderful person. Then followed the typically emasculated detective, whose first thought, at least for public broadcast, was for the grieving relatives, and who said that this was a senseless murder, implying that perhaps there are perfectly sensible ones. Thus, the public gets the impression that what was terrible about the murder was not that it was contrary to common law—the nature of the victim being irrelevant—but that a young and pretty pregnant woman, “so bubbly and full of life,” died. If she were a person of different character—an old reclusive miser, say—it wouldn’t have been so terrible, it seems, and certainly wouldn’t have been worth publicizing.

Krystal Hart’s boyfriend, who had impregnated her, lamented that he had so looked forward to starting a family with her. Some might say that he had already done so. But that was not his only involvement with the incident. Shortly before the murder, he had come to her apartment, and had a disagreement with an associate of one of her neighbors; both of them, separately, left the scene. Hart and the neighbor, it turns out, had a long-standing dispute about parking spaces, but also about something else, as yet unknown to the public. Their ongoing quarrel was so acrimonious that Hart’s father—separated from her mother, as is now customary—had installed a closed-circuit television at the entrance to the apartment for security.

Thirty minutes after the quarrel, the neighbor’s associate, his ego no doubt bruised by something said in the dispute, returned with a gun, probably searching for the boyfriend. Instead, after kicking the door down, he shot Krystal Hart.

The media reports of practically every murder in Britain now conclude with the words, “The police are studying the CCTV evidence.” Britain has by far the highest density of closed-circuit television cameras in the world, each Briton being filmed 300 times per day. But no amount of electronic surveillance can ensure common decency.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial
KEYWORDS: anthonydaniels; banglist; britain; dalrymple; murder; theodoredalrymple
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last
MONEYQUOTE: 'The media reports of practically every murder in Britain now conclude with the words, “The police are studying the CCTV evidence.”' Even in gun-free zones like England, the police can't protect you.
1 posted on 04/10/2007 7:39:20 AM PDT by RKV
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: RKV

Sad to see a great nation self-destruct.


2 posted on 04/10/2007 7:43:13 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Enoch Powell was right.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RKV
Clockwork Orange is on its way, folks.

"We cannot be concerend with such metaphysical concepts such as choice and morality. We are concerned only with cutting down crime!"

3 posted on 04/10/2007 7:46:02 AM PDT by domenad (In all things, in all ways, at all times, let honor guide me.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RKV

Darymple usually does better than this. Is his point the human commentary or the CCTV all over the place?


4 posted on 04/10/2007 7:46:23 AM PDT by Dudoight
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RKV

>> “The police are studying the CCTV evidence.”’

Never bring a CCTV camera to a gun fight; it’s bad tactics.


5 posted on 04/10/2007 7:46:28 AM PDT by vikingd00d
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy
I wonder how the anti-gun Brits feel about a handgun being named after a place in the U.K.

Ruger Bisley Single-Action Revolver (Blackhawk/Super Blackhawk)

6 posted on 04/10/2007 7:49:30 AM PDT by Disambiguator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: RKV; All
Decline of the English Murder
7 posted on 04/10/2007 7:49:43 AM PDT by dighton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RKV
Theodore Dalyrmple is one of the finest writers around today.  If you haven't picked up a copy of "Life At The Bottom" I highly recommend it.

(Note: I left my used copy in the breakroom, if anybody here happens to work with me, have at it.)

Owl_Eagle

If what I just wrote made you sad or angry,
it was probably just a joke.

8 posted on 04/10/2007 7:49:56 AM PDT by End Times Sentinel (In Memory of my Dear Friend Henry Lee II)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RKV

British society is imploding because their government has morphed into a bloated and deformed monster that disarms law abiding citizens, videotapes them in the public lavatory, and rolls out the welcome mat for Omar the goat humper and family. The heirs of William the Conquerer are being sold out in the worst possible way. I’d become a violent drunk too under those circumstances, and the US ain’t far behind.


9 posted on 04/10/2007 7:50:34 AM PDT by SpaceBar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RKV

I’m stil sleepy and having my first coffee. So if the author has some point in this article it eludes me. The point could be nice looking murder victims get more attention than homeless drug addicts. True and fair


10 posted on 04/10/2007 7:50:42 AM PDT by ca centered
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RKV
With this terrible murder and the outdoor CCTVs inability to stop the murder the British people can expect to see a push to have CCTV installed within every private residence. If they are not there already.
11 posted on 04/10/2007 7:51:47 AM PDT by 2001convSVT ("People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SpaceBar

Well said.


12 posted on 04/10/2007 7:53:39 AM PDT by oakcon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: SpaceBar

That’s an excellent summary. Sad to see the UK declining so....


13 posted on 04/10/2007 7:58:16 AM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: vikingd00d

The peelers are going to raise funds for their operations by instituting “pay-per-view.”


14 posted on 04/10/2007 8:01:41 AM PDT by RKV ( He who has the guns, makes the rules.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: SpaceBar
I think you have a pretty good list of causes. I don't think one could overstate the effect of such a large Muslim population committed to Islamic law. The reaction to the Iran hostage crisis by British authorities must have been effect by the large latent Islamic population in England.

BTW, if any of you in Britain want a pleasant distraction from all this, my kid sister (actually, age 34) just had her first novel released in England. The book is called Far Horizons. Here is the description:

On the eve of his departure for the New World, Allan MacDougall asks his beloved Harriet to wait for his return, when he will be established and able to marry her. His parents discover his intent and find it dishonourable, so Allan is obliged to free Harriet from her promise, although he vows to remain faithful. On Prince Edward Island, Allan struggles against his father's tyranny to establish himself and a home for Harriet. Meanwhile, back on the Isle of Mull, Harriet must face both danger and temptation as her own family's farm is threatened. It will be many years before Harriet and Allan meet again. Will their love survive?

I know that is a shameless plug but it's for my sister so I think that makes it OK;)

15 posted on 04/10/2007 8:04:42 AM PDT by Pete
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: ca centered

Have another coffee. There are several points, not just one.

1) for all it has lost in freedom, British society, and individual Britons, are not “safe” from crime

2) the police can’t/won’t/don’t protect you, even in ‘nice” neighborhoods and

3) “gun-control” has failed as has the surveillance state.

- for starters.


16 posted on 04/10/2007 8:06:31 AM PDT by RKV ( He who has the guns, makes the rules.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Pete

An armed society is a polite society.


17 posted on 04/10/2007 8:07:28 AM PDT by chiller (Old Media is not yet dead. Turn them off and they will die. For the sake of sanity.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: SpaceBar

“..and rolls out the welcome mat for Omar the goat humper and family.”

And to think that these goat humpers will someday be in control of Britain’s nuclear arsenal.


18 posted on 04/10/2007 8:11:43 AM PDT by 353FMG (I never met a liberal I didn't dislike.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: RKV

Why let facts get in the way of a good story, eh? These murders are news because murder is still relatively rare in the UK, and even more rare in England and Wales specifically.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_murder_rate#2000s


19 posted on 04/10/2007 8:13:26 AM PDT by FostersExport
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: FostersExport

And which facts has the author stated which are untrue? None.


20 posted on 04/10/2007 8:16:27 AM PDT by RKV ( He who has the guns, makes the rules.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson