The Guardian: Offenders should NOT get their just deserts
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Reverting to 'tough' justice fails both adults and children | Society | The Guardian.
When someone writes that offenders should "get their just deserts" you assume they are a tabloid journalist.But when someone thinks offenders should NOT get their "just deserts" and indeed holds the very concept at arms length with disdainful quotation marks, you KNOW he's from that brainless, simpering gangster's moll of newspapers, The Guardian and is thoroughly turned on by a bit of rough.
In fairness to our unjust friend, not according to the Oxford Dictionary. "Desert" in this sense is derived from "deserving" - i.e. ones deserts are what one deserves. Of course you sometimes deserve a dessert too, in which case I suppose it's a just dessert.
B^)
Posted by: Tom | Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at 10:39 PM
A real journalist might know that in this expression, "desserts" is customarily spelled with a double "s".
Posted by: stan mann | Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at 08:01 PM
David,
that says far more about yourself than anyone else.
Posted by: Trooper Thompson | Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at 01:50 PM
How much easier to oppose a fantasy than reality, eh David?
Posted by: Tom | Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at 02:15 AM
Ah how different are the visions conjoured by the words Just desserts .... whenever I see it without quotes I always imagine the author is a retired colonel eager to get at the naked bottoms of young boys and girls with a birch ;) Which if they are writing in the Mail or Telegraph is probably spot on!
Posted by: David | Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at 01:58 AM
Any kind of justice would be a step in the right direction, but I have next to no faith in this government improving matters.
Posted by: Trooper Thompson | Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 08:06 PM
They get their jusat deserts in more ways than one. Not paying attention in school, learning a trade and not restraining ones emotions and passions will lead to further difficulties later in life.
Tough love, from an early ages as possible, is much better than what any guardianist can offer.
Posted by: Damo | Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 04:36 PM