> > > > I also sympathize with the view that people smugglers should be shot at dawn. No, really: They are toying with human life.
> > >
> > > This was a sarcastic joke, right? After all, shooting someone at dawn for smuggling a person is also toying with human life.
> >
> > Uh-oh, I see the "Capital Punishment" thread rearing its head again. Do we want to go into this again?
>
> Um, I don't see how it has to do with capital punishment, and how my statements could possibly indicate my stance on the well-worn issue. You're proposing that "people smugglers" be shot. For heaven's sake, lighten up a bit. If you don't, your beliefs will soon be in alignment with those of the Taliban.
>
> Ellmyruh


Are we talking about the same people? I realise that people have helped refugees cross borders for ideological reasons (think e.g. WWII). That's fair. Especially because the refugees lives have often been at stake.

But the people who exploit the refugees (who more often than not are "only" fleeing from relative poverty) *for the money* are scum. Period. In the present case, the refugees paid as much as $25,000 for the final leg of the trip to Australia (2 hours by ferry, IIRC).

I think these people should be punished severely, as the figure of speech "shot at dawn" implies. OK, maybe that didn't come across too clearly. This seems like a deja vu.

jul"I blame my english teacher"ian