IT requires no high level of sophistication to determine the appropriate response to antisocial behaviour, especially the utterly heinous targeting of our heroic firefighters by gangs of missile-throwing thugs on Teesside (Echo, Feb 16).
Let's make one thing clear: humanity and rehabilitation in the treatment of offenders are fine - in appropriate cases - but the people who do this kind of thing are not such cases.
They are evil, and you cannot treat evil with humanity and leniency. The only appropriate response to evil is severity. Not until these thugs are taken out and publicly flogged - mercilessly - and their parents (who bear ultimate responsibility) heavily fined, will there be any impression made on this menace.
As it is, they are seldom even caught, the attitude of the police being "Why bother?", given that the so-called punishments (Asbos and community service) meted out by the courts for such behaviour are laughably inappropriate and inadequate. - Tony Kelly, Crook, Co Durham.
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