The Birch (revisted)

[joe-90]

About a year ago I started a thread about whether the birch should be reintroduced to quell the feral/yob culture. At that time almost everyone was against it (except me). Have you changed your mind? Would you vote for its return for persistent anti-social behaviour?

 

[wiggikins]

Cat o' 9 tails gets my vote

 

[chessspy]

Oh , Yes pleeeese!
can I have the little one with the soft bits on the end?

 

[joe-90]

Oh , Yes pleeeese!
can I have the little one with the soft bits on the end?

Only if you are a feral yob that won't reform.

 

[chessspy]

Oh, Joe,
I promise not to reform, if thats what it take to get you to beat me.

 

[joe-90]

Oh, Joe,
I promise not to reform, if thats what it take to get you to beat me.

Bend over Boy - and stay down for SIX.

 

[chessspy]

Why, you big tease Joe!
I'm shocked,
I thought you might be a potential recruit to the broderbond.

 

[joe-90]

So with all the pro hanging brigade calling for the ultimate revenge - what are your views of the birch?

 

[Shytalkz]

It's not used anywhere near enough.

 

[joe-90]

It's not used anywhere near enough.

It's not used anywhere is it?

 

[Shytalkz]

No, exactly. And more's the pity.

 

[Space cat]

I believe they still have the birch in the Isle of Man. It came up in a documentary many, many years ago and what I thought then still holds. I have no objections in principle, assuming that the due process of law has been followed but --

1) Birch is, by its nature, difficult to sterilize. The 'bircher' who was on this programme (I can't remember his proper title) claimed that birching didn't break the skin and so sterilization was unnecessary. I wasn't convinced. The solution is simple enough. It should not be beyond our means to produce an entirely synthetic substitute.

2) The bircher also explained that he was allowed to make up his birch in a variety of ways, eg by using one large branch or a bundle of smaller ones. The standardized synthetic birch would eliminate this variation.

3) And this leads nicely to my single biggest objection. Put yourself in the place of the birchee for a minute. You did the crime and the judge passed sentence. Fair enough, but your punishment now depends quite heavily on whether the bircher likes the look of you or not. This is, in my view, unacceptable. The judge is the only one who should decide what constitutes an appropriate punishment. The solution is not difficult; the sterilized standardized synthetic birch should be swung by a machine.

And so we come back to the original question: Does anybody else think we should bring back the birch. Think carefully here. The revenge element has been removed and the bircher will have to get his kicks somewhere else. Only the punishment remains. There are no right answers here. Over to you ---

 

[Shytalkz]

Yes, but the synthetic variation should equate to the most painful natural version.

 

[chessspy]

The birch was banned in the Isle of Man some years ago.

 

[Space cat]

the synthetic variation should equate to the most painful natural version.

That's fine by me as long as it's a standard. One size fits all.