There are bad ideas and then there are utterly disgraceful ideas. This weekend it was reported that the Government's advisory group on the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland has come up with one of the latter. The families of victims killed in the Troubles, they said, should be compensated. Unfortunately, they are including terrorists on the list of "victims".
I don't think any of us could have any problem with the concept of compensation being paid to those whose innocent family members were killed by terrorists. However, the idea that the families of the militants who did that killing should be compensated is disgusting. Not a penny of taxpayers' money should go to reimburse the deaths of people who set out to murder, maim and destroy.
It's an insult to equate the lives of innocent victims to the lives of violent thugs, and what's more, it sends out an appalling message to today's would-be terrorists. Worried that by getting involved in terrorism your family might suffer? Have no fear, they could get a cash lump sum. Having a moment's doubt about your choosing to harm innocent civilians? It's okay, the Government thinks you are as much a victim as they are.
The people that commit acts of terrorism are not victims, they are murdering scum. There is no way any law-abiding taxpayer should be paying out compensation for the death of someone who would have had no qualms about killing them in cold blood.