Whose grief is it anyway?

I was very unhappy to see the start of yet another press conference held with a grieving family on the news this afternoon. I only saw a snippet as I decided I did not feel I wanted to share in their personal grief in such a public and exposing way.

Who is this press conference for. Who gains from this and who loses. Why do we need to see a poor, grieving and vulnerable family expose them to banks of cameras and reporters. Who is responsible for the needs of the family at this time. Who is protecting them whilst they are too grief stricken and shocked to make decisions about their privacy and right to respect for themselves.

I am not talking here about press conferences created when there is a missing person, or police are looking for more evidence to assist their enquiries. I have no problem with that. But in the case of the Rigby family, what is the gain. There is nothing to learn from them, no information to garner, it’s just a media circus and the poor family are the dancing bear.

Somehow, as a culture we have come to expect this. Family’s, survivors, victims are frequently paraded out in front of cameras and consequently across the newspapers the following day. Is it right that we get to share their most intimate of feelings. Do we believe that in doing so, we are showing respect and supporting them to come to terms with their loss. Are we?

I believe we have been fed this by newspapers and news programmes (and sadly the BBC who’ve changed into something akin to a magazine programme). They’ve decide it makes good copy (and for good copy read good revenue). They see their good copy being sucked up by us, and we have come to desire to know all the gory details and to pour over every intimate morsel we are given. We’re not so far removed from the French women who sat at the foot of the guillotine doing their knitting. It’s become rather obscene don’t you think. I don’t want to be part of that, do you?

I think it is time to add another string to the role of the Police Family Liaison Officer (FLO). It’s time that, using their knowledge and training, they make a decision about a press conference in respect of the needs of the family and no one else. If, after weighing up all the information, they believe a press conference is appropriate and needed (by the family) then a period of grace should be applied to allow some time to pass before going ahead. The Rigby family have hardly had time to breathe since they lost their son and husband and this press conference (if it was for them and not the media) was far too soon.

I think the media need also to look at their practices and who knows, maybe it’s the police who encourage this without thought to why or if it is necessary in all cases.

Woolwich and Terror: We Must Resist Having Our Enemies Constructed For Us

Reblogged from Scriptonite Daily:

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An astonishing, unprovoked knife attack has taken place on the streets of Britain.  Woolwich? No, Birmingham.  Just weeks ago, 75 year old Mohammed Saleem was butchered with a machete just yards from his front door as he returned home from mosque – in what police believe was a racially motivated murder.  The fact that this story likely comes as news to you, epitomises our misplaced ‘islamaphobia’ and our unbalanced view of terror.

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I hadn't seen this. I have to admit to not being an avid news watcher or newspaper reader.....but where was the outcry?

A Backlash of hate and racism, disguised as patriotism.

I have come across loads of racism being disguised as patriotism around on the internet and Facebook (of course) today. Sadly, it’s stuff like this which will continue to radicalise the disaffected. I do not and am not condoning what happened yesterday, I am as horrified as you, I am as angry as you, and I know that spewing racist anger and hate is not going to change a thing. The truth is, it will feed that very people we are hating. We cannot continue to talk about Muslims as if they are all the same, all mad/evil/bad/murderers. I know and have known some very nice, gentle, kind and caring people whom I believe to be of the Muslim faith. I have also met some extreme “Christians” as well as some kind, gentle caring ones.
As we all are today, I am still trying to work out how I feel, but I am know that right now I am concerned and frightened for the UK as the hatist racist extreme right use this as fodder to further their own needs.

Here a few of the examples that I have come across in a narrow and short search, just on Facebook pages.

Realistically, all of you saying ‘make a stand’ and ‘shoot them’ are going to do absolutely nothing, because some rationality still exists inside you. You will say a lot, but ultimately not do anything. Muslims are not bad. Ignorance is bad

I don’t know what is less surprising, the fact that people are jumping on the ‘all Muslims are terrorists’ bandwagon or that those people are pretty much the people you get on Jeremy Kyle.

Hey Guys This has been a hell of a shock to all DECENT,NORMAL THINKING PEOPLE. Buts lets all just remember a young innocent man walking his own streets has been slaughtered like a wild animal today. Lets stop getting at each other NOW is the time we all stand together and honour this lads memory.RIP BRAVE LAD. We salute you and our sympathy to your family. Time for logical thought now. These people want us to hate. Well hating our own isnt going to help. Lets now pull together as one. That way these maniacs will never win. Hate cannot be the order of the day otherwise we are as bad as them. Love and peace folks.

As a Muslim brought up in this awesome country I don’t condone what those 2 mad so called ‘Muslims’ have done. They have killed a completely innocent man, which in any religion- especially Islam, is wrong. I can’t believe that these awful things are happening now, the disgusting ‘Muslim’ people who committed murder will pay their price to God in Hell. All Muslims are ashamed and embarassed by what they have done and are angry with them for portraying Muslims like this, if they weren’t happy to live in this open and what was safe country then they should have left. As a Muslim and a human being I send my love to the family of the poor man who has been brutally brutally murdered.

This is probably going to piss off a lot of people, but let me make this perfectly clear first, it is a shame what happened to the solider and i wish his family the best and hope they get though this, but how does changing your profile picture to a union jack show support, itsback to that “change your picture to a cartoon Characters to support anti pedo’s” its the same as thinking the like button will cure cancer. If you want to really support the guy go out and do something, send flowers to there family or a card, something they will see, not change your profile picture for a few days then change it back as if nothing ever happend

If people had listened years ago to Enoch Powell who said to keep the borders locked then this country would not be in the state it is in now.RIP to the fellow who died and respect to his family

The Union Jack was once a flag of pride, it expressed freedom and prosperity and unanimity… Then people like you (right wing extremists) came along and made it about hate. You think you are so patriotic but your real intention is to ruin this grate country.

Well here in USA we could use our 2nd amendment rights and killed them while we waited for the cops maybe even saved the guy Rip young man sad sad day

Enoch Powell was right…send them all back..

Its nothing to do with religion…..its to do with evil ……those two men were evil personified………..using the banner of a religion….you cant be religious and then kill someone…….

Heavenly Father I pray for justice to be done and I pray calm and peace in the UK please LORD do not let Satan have his way here. These are your children in the United Kingdom please LORD protect them and give them wisdom. Amen

Do you know that Mohammad said Allah ordered me to kill non-Muslims. Text of his speech in Arabic: أمرت أن أقاتل الناس حتى يشهدوا ألا إله إلا الله وأن محمدا رسول الله ، ويقيموا الصلاة ويؤتوا الزكاة ، فإذا فعلوا ذلك عصموا مني دماءهم وأموالهم إلا بحق الإسلام وحسابهم على الله

As a muslim, i would like to apologize for the above comment. What an idiot. As a whole we refuse to share the same ideologies of a small, evil minority

Deport immediately anyone who preaches hate against this country- please let us not tolerate this but also not to take action against innocent Muslims and immigrants otherwise Enoch Powell’s RIves of Blood will come true

I am married to a Muslim man, and im proud to be married to him. Please dont tar all Muslims with the same brush and people who say they are killing people for Islam are liars. Nobody in this fken country keeps my husband or family. We both work full time we take care of our 2 disabled sons claim no benefits nothing from this country and im a white english woman born and bred here. So give the decent muslims of this country a chance. Or next time u or one of ur family goes to A&E tell the muslim doctor or surgeon or whoever u dont wantvtreatment from them…..rant over!!!!!

I am thankful to know there are some voices of reason out there too.

This from a Facebook friend;
I am sickened and shocked by the events of yesterday and some of the disgusting attitudes to this. I am bewildered by what happened and still unsure of the motivation etc. It was an awful cowardly act and I grieve with the family of the soldier and with the people who witnessed this. BUT, if you believe in Britain, the British way of life, British justice and ideals, there is NO PLACE for disgusting racist ranting. If you truly believe that the perpetrators should have been summarily executed, that all Muslims are extremists and should be removed from Britain, that people with black skins are somehow of a lower order than people with pink skins, then I would ask you to remove yourself from my friends list as I NEVER want to see this kind of racism on my Facebook page again.

and another Facebook friend;
I just heard about the terrible attack on the soldier in the UK. I even saw the video of the man bragging about why he did it. My heart and love go to those affected by this, the mans friends and family, and those unfortunate to be affected by this. Whilst not a racist, I find it ironic that after a large protest about how the government and police should burn in hell…those same extremists are now demanding the government and police act to protect their mosque and followers….what can you say?
I do also feel for those genuine Muslim’s out there who have also been tarred with this lunatics brush. Love and peace man….thats all we need.

I wish I knew the answer, I wish I had the magic spell to make it all okay. What I know is, hate breeds hate, violence breeds violence, terror breeds terror, war breeds war.

MPs Get 30% Pay Rise, Average Worker Gets 20% Pay Cut

Reblogged from Scriptonite Daily:

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It was announced yesterday that MPs could receive a 30% pay rise, seeing their wages rise £20,000 a year to £86,000.  Meanwhile, the average wage earner in the UK has seen their wages drop 20% in real terms since 2008. The government is certainly Making Work Pay…just not for 99% of the population.

The Wage Drop of the 99%

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Do the people no longer have the power to stop this madness? How can this be allowed. I am speechless (apart from the above!).

I feel like I’ve committed a crime.

AND I BLOODY HAVEN’T

Thanks to Amazon and their carte blanche attitude to book reviewers, I have begun to feel that I am in the wrong for a reviewing a book I felt excited and passionate about. Is this a good thing do you think? I know I will be very wary of reviewing a book ever again, epsecially as I will always be linked to my daughter and she will more than likely always be linked to authors and books.

As Julie says in her comment here,
Authors beware…

Funnily enough, I have just referred a client to Jo, and also won one of Lisa’s books. I’m feeling I’ve committed a crime before I write a review!!

I wonder how many authors are now losing their valuable reviews. There certainly does not appear to be an appeals process when you believe your review was valid and without inappropriate connections. I think in future, if there is a book review future for me, I will always write a disclaimer at the bottom. Not that will protect me from Amazon’s software, but at least I will feel happier that I will have offered up anything I feel should be taken into account whilst reading my review.

I am sure there are millions of bogus reviews on Amazon, and I agree that these should be addressed, but when I know my review was from an honest place…

Blogger threatened with $1 billion suit for writing about allegedly predatory publisher

Reblogged from Naked Security:

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Jeffrey Beall, a US academic librarian who uses his Scholarly Open Access blog to write about publishers' dubious practices, is being threatened with a $1 billion lawsuit by an Indian publishing group.

Beall keeps a running list, known as "Beall's list," of journals and publishers who do fishy things such as spamming scholars or charging bogus fees.

As Ars Technica's Nathan Mattise tells it,

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I like this, and I particularly like Mr Beall's stance, Beall thinks the idea is "silly": "The amount is silly—I haven't done any damage to their operation. … The case has no merit, in my opinion." Excellent, bon courage Mr Beall.

I am not alone, thank you Jo.

Jo came across this today. I think she will be blogging later about Amazon book reviews. Meanwhile, here is a useful piece from Forbes.

Amazon deletes wrong reviews.

Wish I had seen this before the weekend.

What it highlights for me is, if I continue to pursue them, I am likely to put the very book I am reviewing at risk of being removed from Amazon. I am not willing to do that. So, on this subject at least, it’s goodnight from me and it’s goodnight from him.

I will add a link to Jo’s blog at http://www.writersblockadminservices.co.uk/ once it’s published.

Here’s the link to Jo’s blog:
Beware. Amazon could remove your book.