Spiff - your insight is correct and your analogy is apt.
However, if you take the mechanism of abuse away from people, the problem is easier to manage. Telling a cop to stop hitting people on the head might not stop him from doing it (especially if he's got a prior disposition to do so). In fact, most people don't need to be told not to abuse others. The Singapore analogy definitely highlights the fact that those in charge, (while not ignoring the issue), are not addressing it head on either....
I think that this ban can also be compared to a ban on assault rifles. No, people shouldn't need to be told not to take an uzi into a mini-mall. But some people are crazy enough (we'll call it pre-disposed) to do just that. One solution - tell people not to do it, and then when they break the law, clean up the mess (and mourn the dead while you're at it). The second solution is to take the assault rifle out of the hands of the crazed individual. While this abridges some freedoms and potentially some rights that he may have, you've effectively eliminated the problem of the uzi/mini mall affair... I'm sure that the relatives and loved ones of the victims of our mini mall melee would prefer the latter solution.
Ultimately, this doesn't address the issue head on. If a guy is crzed enough, he'll find another tool to kill a bunch of people at the mini mall if he is that determined, just like a cop will find something else to beat criminals (and innocents) over the head with. But, if you make the cops or the lunatics jump through a few more hoops, you might jar some sense into these people.
So, while I agree with you in regard to the absurdity of removing metal flashlights from policemen's hands while not directly addressing the issue that maybe we should get some anger management counselers on the scene - the tools and methods that they are implementing cut to the chase. They provide a profolactic solution to a problem which cannot be solved without great cost, the expenditure of great energy and (very likely) the re-ordering of certain people's mindsets (not an easy task).
Anyway, rant over. Interesting catch.
