Word: self
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...precipice. For Proust, that loss surrounds mortality and the desire to mentally ward it off at all costs; for the narrator, it is simply a question of “lying low” and warding off the cruelty of lovers. Yet the protagonist and Clara, caught in their self-involved and unspectacular web of emotions, are too banal for Aciman’s trick to work, and the protagonist’s dense, slogging thoughts form a thicket of angst that paralyses the narrative. He despairingly thinks, “It occurred to me that rehearsing loss to dull...
...it’s legal to kill a burglar if you have to, but not if you want to, Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge has just overturned the sentence of Munir Hussein, who chased a burglar down the street and gave him brain damage. The issue is delicate, mediating self-defense and personal revenge; consequentially, there’s an uncertain policy in Britain, and a dubious one in the United States. Self-defense is a priority, but a firm line must be drawn to prevent the burgled from simply taking the law into their own hands...
...United Kingdom law enables homeowners to commit as much violence as necessary, but only in self-defense (e.g. you may knock a burglar unconscious, but not continue to beat him whilst he is harmless), which seems justified. However, it came under question when Hussein continued to attack once the burglar had left the home. Although strictly against the law, Hussein’s family had just been tied up and he acted under extreme distress and anxiety. To pursue a man down the street is not technically self-defense, but under the exceptional conditions, it’s clear that...
Over on the other side of the pond—i.e. our own blessed soil— the presence of a burglar seems to render any form of violence acceptable, and shows the dangers of too generous allowances in the name of self-protection. In the majority of states, a form of Castle Law is permitted which does not require crime victims to avoid violence, but essentially enables homeowners to “stand their ground” and attack burglars simply upon their intrusion into the home. The policy ensures that burglary is repayable by death...
...Self-defense should always be legitimate when homeowners have direct reason to believe that their life or safety is in danger, and express attacks from burglars ensure that self-protection is certainly permissible. Meanwhile, to shoot a man who steps foot in your garage is a crime, according to the age-old mantra that two wrongs don’t make a right, and should be dealt with accordingly. But in the spectrum between the two extremes, policy is less certain. Certain acts of violence from homeowners (such as to chase a burglar down the street) seem unnecessary, but under...