Premier Dalton McGuinty has decided that there are two different rules for those who threaten anyone in public life - one for politicians and the other for the rest of us.

The premier notified police after a woman immigrant from India sent an e-mail in which she said she would "kill" one of his aides and she has been charged with uttering a death threat and could go to jail for up to five years.

The immigrant has explained that people in her former country often use this expression when merely slightly irritated and have not the remotest intention of carrying it out.

She says the words should not be taken literally. Others add that similar language is common in several countries and there is a lot, including this writer's personal experience, to support this.

The legislature also has been through a similar incident before, when it refused to rebuke even slightly an immigrant MPP from Britain, who said an opponent "should be shot," but maintained this is an expression of only mild disagreement in that country.

The premier and police have been much harsher in the case of Neelam Vir, 40, of Brampton, who emigrated from India and became a freelance writer for a Punjabi newspaper.

She met politicians in her job and was thrilled by her easy access to them compared to those in India. She became concerned that immigrants have difficulties obtaining jobs for which they are qualified, and wrote to federal and provincial ministers.

In a five-month period she sent about 200 emails to McGuinty.

His office replied to her by her first name and she felt recognized, went to a news conference, heard him say that he enjoyed Indian candies and took one to his office, leaving it with an aide.

Later, she e-mailed the premier again, asking whether the aide had given the candy to him and added, "if she didn't give it to you, I'll kill her.'

She wound up taken to a police station and held for six hours until her husband bailed her out, and says her dream of a life in Canada is ended, but she cannot leave while the charge is hanging over her.

McGuinty said the incident was "sad, but obviously if I or someone in my family or staff receives some kind of threat, we turn it over to the police and they deal with it in the way they see fit."

Clearly, people in some countries commonly say they will "kill" someone without meaning it. One spokesperson here said some in India might say "get the milk or I'm going to kill you," but not many murders in India have been reported over the victim's refusals to pass the milk.

Others have added that the term is common in other countries and parts of Canada, particularly Newfoundland.

In Britain, a mother might warn an unruly child, "I'll kill you when I get you home," but often forget by the time she reached that destination that she had even been irritated.

Vir sent an extraordinarily large number of e-mails to McGuinty in a short period, but this is no proof of an irrationality that might prompt murder.

It could more easily be the exuberance of someone, not previously listened to by authority, who found a premier corresponding with her, using her first name.

The MPP who used an expression with similarities in the legislature was a normally jovial, well-mannered and respected New Democrat, Gordon Mills.

A decade ago, Mills shouted, "You should be shot!" at a Progressive Conservative, Gary Carr.

Mills explained that in Britain saying someone "should be shot" was not meant or to be taken literally. Carr and another Conservative said they had no fears of Mills, but were concerned that his remark might incite some "kook or wing-nut.'

The legislature, which then included McGuinty in opposition, accepted the MPP's explanation and did not reprimand him. The premier should have shown the same leniency to the immigrant who is not a politician.