NathanJ,

Anyone reading the Headline and then the opening post should if they were fluent in English usage, have realized that the bulge on the side of my face was a case of 'tongue in cheek', so the double standards are in your imperfect perception.

To clarify, I abhor unnecessary violence but fully support violence when it is necessary; therefore the statement "Violence is not OK" is meaningless twaddle when violence is, undisputably OK when necessary.

If my wife is unlawfully attacked and I see that she can't handle the attacker then I have the legal right and obligation to go to her assistance and to use sufficient violence to save her; is that not OK?

Not that I think that the situation would ever arise, I'd be more likely to stand back and watch the fun, there is a lot of satisfaction in seeing one of one's pupils do well.

Is Mise,

I didn't know all that about you.

Glad you shared.

Amazing stuff.

Here's an example of violence, both OK and not OK.

Two friends of mine, husband and wife were en route to England in the 1960s, he, on secondment to the British Army to do two years studying Military subjects and she to take up a senior nursing position at Guy's Hospital.

Their ship had a day in Naples and while walking around the city they were confronted by three thugs who blocked the footpath in front of them.
He said to his wife "You take the one on the right and I'll do the other two".
The leader (presumably) pulled a knife so he went down first, number two quickly followed him into unconsciousness and wifey had reduced number three to a screaming heap.

The toughs violence was not OK, the defensive violence was OK, but what followed was understandable but not OK.

He, to his wife's disgust, put his foot on the knife wielder's upper arm, grasped his wrist and broke his elbow.
He explained to his wife that anyone who pulled a knife on him would get something to remember.

One moral of this story is that one should never try to rob a former Commando, nor a woman whose husband had taught her self-defence and who had a nurse's intimate knowledge of the human anatomy and where all the bits that really hurt are located.

Welcome to virtue signalling 101.

Putting up a sign stating that "Violence is not OK" does condemn any particular form of violence nor does it commit the council to anything. All it does is signal to anyone that reads the sign is that the council members are good and virtuous and that they hope you ignore their incompetence or waste of your rates.

Is Mise,

My parents spent some time in Naples after WWII on
their way to Australia. I still remember the stories
they told of women dressed in black with their hands
outstreched begging for bread "pane, pane."

It left quite an impression.

However, they had photographs of the ruins of pompeii
that were amazing. And dad managed to buy some
fresh onions that they brought onto the Italian ship
they travelled to Australia on. It made a treat from
eating pasta daily.

Foxy,

Do you remember which ship they were on?