Thanks Indyvidual

I'd add that a difficulty for the Qid Police was that Wieambilla seemed to be a highly armed group who had prepared the ground with sensors - all meaning it was at the upper end of police capabilities to handle.

In future cases the Federal and State governments should consider more capable Australian Army (eg. SAS and Tiger attack helicopters from nearby Oakey air base) "aid to the civil power" responses see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_aid_to_the_civil_power#Australia

A precedent is immediately following the 1978 Hilton Hotel, Sydney, bombing the Commonwealth and State Government requested armed Australian Army aid to the civil power.

I see it partly as a failure to educate the young about democracy.
And largely an inability to assess the mental attitude of young persons.
We tend to think they will be ok if we just push them in the right direction.
Whilst this works for most of them, it doesn't for some.
A few will have an innate desire to harm, and even kill, other persons.
They could well become rapists or serial killers.

We accept somewhat erratic behaviour from many teenagers, as part of growing up.
The ones whose difference is potentially destructive and unwholesome go unnoticed in the mix.
Until it is too late.
These are the ones whose instincts can over-ride any common sense they might have.
And even if we could find out who has the potential to be like that, what then?
Will we 'confine these persons: banish them on a 'just in case' basis?

We live in a democracy. Majority rule prevails.
No individual should make, or try to enforce, his own rules.
No one must harm another person, simply because he thinks he has a right to.
No resorting to brute force, however much our instincts might desire it.
Step back and be peaceful.
One advantage of doing so would be that those without control would stand out from the crowd.

We need to make it clear to all persons that living in a democracy means adhering to standards.
And we need a far better way of finding those with a mental leaning towards harmful conduct.
I doubt the latter will happen though.
So we must accept that there will continue to be unseemly behaviour in the community.
As a result, we must engage with sensible strategies, to ensure we stay as safe as we possibly can.
Which means personal curtailment of some things we would like to take for granted.

No individual should make, or try to enforce, his own rules.
Ipso fatso,
Minority groups seem to believe they don't have to toe the line !