Chris B, have you ever coveted someone else's wife but - properly - never acted on that desire? Have you loved a particular car model and kept photos of it but never stole one? Have you passionately dislike someone but never hit him/her or killed him/her?

That's the difference. The potential for a crime is not the crime itself. It is still serious, and needs to be addressed - but not with the same severity as the crime itself.

Nothing to do with being a "libertarian", whatever that is nowadays (I have at one time or another voted for right- and left-wing parties in my home country, and belong to no party, choosing to cast my vote according to the current sircumstances and options available, rather than blindly follow a doctrine). So don't pigeonhole me.

Now, hand on heart - was your question really prompted by lack of understanding, or just the wish to somehow score a point? It's OK to admit the latter, we are all human and we can all get hot under the collar. Let's just use common sense (and please let's not start another discussion on what that is), and move on.