Out of Step?

Sometimes one feels oneself completely out of step with public opinion.  OK, I find myself out of step with what is supposedly popular opinion a lot of the time.  But every so often there's an issue where you find yourself scratching your head over the stance taken by others.  Take this business of the cutting down of that tree on Hadrian's Wall, for which those two guys have recently been found guilty.  If I'm to believe the press coverage, not to mention some of the reactions on social media, these guys apparently committed the crime of the century.  A crime against humanity, in fact, for which they are not only being publicly pilloried, but for which various people are screaming for them to banged up for life.  Or worse.  Judging by the foaming at the mouth hysteria on social media, there's a fair number of people out there who think that they should be publicly horse whipped.  Another school of thought seems to think that capital punishment should be brought back especially for them.  (Doubtless, arguing that they should be hanged on a gallows made from the wood of the tree they illegally felled).  This hysteria isn't even confined to foaming at the mouth right wing loonies - I've seen similar stuff from people who like to characterise themselves on social media as liberal or left-wing.  Well, I'm sorry, but I just don't understand this level of hate and rage.

Make no mistake, these two clowns are obviously utter arseholes who have committed a reprehensible act of vandalism.  But guys, it was a tree they cut down. Their violence wasn't directed at a person, but rather an inanimate object.  At the end of the day it is a crime against property, not a crime against persons and should be treated as such.  I really don't think the level of opprobrium and vitriol being directed at them is appropriate.  Let alone the amount of newspaper coverage devoted to this business - there are plenty of crimes against actual people that simply don't get reported this widely, let alone attract such levels of public hatred.  None of which should really come as a surprise bearing in mind that we live in a country where, historically, crimes against property (most specifically the property of the wealthy) have always been seen as worse than crimes against people, (especially if they are crimes against poor people).  But hey, these are the times we live in, where priorities seem permanently to be arse-about-face and we're meant to get outraged by things that should be obvious to an idiot.  Take this business of convicted terrorists in high security jails attacking prison guards, which has occupied so many column inches in the papers - we're all meant to be outraged and horrified by such incidents, demanding that the government do something about it.  But what the Hell - people convicted of violent crimes with no regard for human life continue to commit acts of violence with no regard for human life while incarcerated.  Am I supposed to be surprised?  The media apparently seem to think so.  'The public', as represented by social media, certainly seems to think so.  Clearly, I am once again out of step with public sentiment.