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Clameur-ing for help

27 March 2008 / Byron James
Issue: 7314 / Categories: Opinion , Public , Human rights , Community care
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Byron James takes the law into his own hands with the modern application of an age-old remedy

Defending one’s home has been a newsworthy topic from time immemorial. While it has dramatic expositions, such as in the circumstances surrounding the conviction of Tony Martin at the turn of the present century, it also has a point of more mundane relevance. There are countless circumstances in which one can feel in need of protection despite being warmly ensconced within the four walls of one’s home. For some, the sound of chatter and the breaking of a glass alcopop bottle on tarmac can send a shiver down the spine, being generally indicative of troublesome yobs outside.

Often in such situations calling the police is something of an irrelevance, akin to taking a sugar-coated pill when seriously ill. Like placebos, it can result in the desired effect, but it leaves far too much to chance for it to be seriously relied upon. The time spent waiting can often inspire a hopeless resignation, as you watch

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