Talkback radio can be bizarre at the best of times, but yesterday a caller to a UK station took things to a whole new level when he demanded the army shoot anyone disobeying Britain’s tough lockdown laws.
The caller – simply identified as “Keith from Norfolk” – phoned BBC 5 Live and told presenter Jim Davis his novel plan for maintaining social order.
Admittedly, Keith said he didn’t want the military to “necessarily kill them”, but added that a quick bullet to the hand or foot should “teach them a lesson”.
Keith had also drawn up a hit list of those he thought deserving of his draconian plan. They included anyone “running around sunbathing, spitting in the streets, disrespecting the Queen” or just generally “being outrageous”.
“I would like the military on the streets and if the people ignore the government advice, I want the military to shoot them,” Keith told a bemused Davis and his listeners.
However, Keith was quick to stress that he didn’t “necessarily want to kill them” but just “shoot them in the foot, shoot them in the hand.
“Teach them a lesson. And the other people will learn we will not flout the rules of this country. We will not disrespect the Queen. We will not disrespect the health workers and go running around sunbathing or spitting in the streets, jogging or cycling.”
Davis then weighed in: “A lot of people will be shocked to hear you say that. Not least of which the burden it will place on the NHS to clear up that mess. Aside from the idea we’re encouraging grievous bodily harm on citizens that might be going about legitimate business without due process is…”
But Keith was having none of it. “If they are going about their reasonable exercise, or visiting somebody with health problems or is vulnerable, or going to work, or necessary shopping, we don’t have to worry about them. But anybody else, and there’s plenty of them, congregating together, taking the Mickey, spitting, being outrageous – shoot them. Shoot them.”
