The man shot dead on a train in Stockwell was a Brazilian electrician called Jean Charles de Menezes. He had no connection with the bombings whatsoever. This is a tragedy for his family, and for a so-called civilised society. May his soul rest in peace, and I pray that his family can find a way to forgive those who so brutally executed a much-loved member of their family.
I don't believe that it would have been right to kill someone in this way even if he were a bomber, just like I don't believe in capital punishment. I've noticed that the story has already moved from the lead item on television news, and the latest is that he had an expired visa. How convenient for the authorities.
The people that died in the bombs, I have every sympathy for their families, but a shoot-to-kill policy is madness. Shoot first, ask no questions later? I'm sorry, no matter how many people died, I cannot in all conscience agree with that. You need to hang on to your beliefs even when severely tested. And if we as a society believe that a man is innocent until proven guilty, then how can we support such a policy in pursuit of terrorists? This is something that will affect people of colour, as sanctioned by the government and the police, in whom my faith in both is similarly fragile. I have a female friend that is a police officer. After being racially abused by a man, who then physically assaulted her, the police were called. Who do you think they arrested? Tell her what she's won Bob! Nah blood, they don't get my vote on that issue.
The Guardian wrote a very moving piece. See link on the right.
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2 comments:
Thank you thank you thank you! For saying what so desperately needed to be said - all of the deaths of all these innocent people are wrong, and mourning Menezes' death doesn't detract from the great sadness we feel for the people who were killed by the actual terrorists.
Your post gave me heart - I used it as an example of a wonderful response on my blog.
Electronic hug from the U.S. -
ina
AGREE 10.... Hold on
OK murder is not good.
BUT... I ask what would YOU ask the officers to do instead?
Remember this man ran from the police onto an underground train. What if your mother sat on that very train in the carriage he ran on? What if he indeed had been a terrorist and his intent was to cause death to all infidel (aka your mother in his eyes).
The decision is easy for us now as:
a) it's abstract, most of us haven't even seen death let alone a violent one.
b) (sad to say) most of us don't feel threatened YET. We feel scared but once again this is abstract (exactly what terrorism is 'to strike terror of the possibilities into people as possibilities are X times greater than the actual act [thinking about an injection is ALWAYS worst than the actual injection]).
A friend said to me "I'm driving to work from now on".. to which I replied "so your gonna drive by buses fast then". they were not amused.. nor was I. It just goes to show that they were not actually thinking, a common trait of fear driven actions...
I digress..
Back to your mother, train, coat / cap wearing unknown and the cops..
what is your decision..
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Except you don't have 5 seconds to make up your mind...
Thankfully you and I don't make these decisions (they would have dun blown up the train and Mr. Menezes would have lived)
But I *am* grateful someone DOES make these decisions. Granted this may lead to mistakes which cannot be over looked. But without them I feel much more terrorised.
A point smmooothhhlly glided over by EVERY media network...
On the day every eye witness interview that SAW the event claimed that they saw an Asian guy. One guy even said a Pakistani [he knew the exact place the man came from].
Isn't propaganda powerful?
This blog thing is good innit!
Oh and you better publish my ish.. as its part of the 1st amendme... oh your in the UK :(
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