On grief and vengence....

The UK in the last few days has been awash with stories of what Jon Venables new identity is.For those of you who don't live in the UK or have been living on the dark side of the moon for the last 10 years,Jon Venables is one of the 2 boys that horrifically murdered a 2 year old.I wont go into details as even now,I find myself reduced to streams of tears if I have to re read or describe what happened to the poor lad.

There seems to be a culture of instant vengeance and ill mannered community action that sees armies of people that consider themselves judge,jury and executioner for any case that they see fit.Don't get me wrong,the 2 people that were convicted of the crime deserved their punishment and a whole lot more,but the verdict of a court does not mean that it's open season on anyone who may vaguely resemble an accused person.

I received a text message on my mobile phone today informing me of what Jon Venables new identity is and where he lives.The only problem is that it is totally incorrect.The power of the internet and mass mailing via text is now for sure a double edged sword.

Take the case of a Paediatrician that was hounded out of her house by a braying mob,thinking that she was a pedophile.A little education may be a dangerous thing,but an atrocious knowledge of spelling and job titles is a hell of a lot worse.

I often wonder where the very public out pouring of grief and emotion comes from.Why do people feel the need to place wreaths and soft toys at the place where a child has died when they have no connection with the deceased? Is it that we are showing what we think should be expected of us? Is it the case that if we don't display grief we don't understand and are considered unfeeling?


In the UK we used to be known for our our strength of keeping it all together and reserving emotion for family members.You only have to look at the very public displays of mass mourning on the occasion of the death of a celeb to see how much this has changed.

When Diana,AKA The Queen Of Hearts (TM) (gawd bless her) died from not wearing her seatbelt,the country was awash with other celebs singing songs in her memory,and the general public mourning the passing of someone who for all intense purposes was a demigod and not just a woman who looked good in the latest designer rags.
Within hours of her death,she was being thrust into martyrdom that previously was reserved for those who had actually made a contribution to the world that doesn't include being a clothes horse for Versace....

Maybe the time has come for us all to reevaluate what really matters and how we react to those many bits of rumour that we all receive throughout the day.

Stay safe.........