Confused and treading carefully
the Holly and Jessica murders are everywhere it seems, I was mildly surprised to see that its got as far as Canada (well jenni knows about it ). I was just wondering why this case has shot to such publicity and encouraged such histrionics (the News of the World's 'End of Innocence' headline almost taking the biscuit pipped at the post only by this quote by a mother of two at the mobbing of Maxine Carr on why she was there: "I can't seem to get on with anything. It's really hard.") A report has just popped on the news saying how a suspected sex offender (was arrested but not convicted) has been beaten to death in his flat by vigilantes. He seemed to be picked on because he was the local unsociable loony, maybe a bit like Barry George. I can't help suspecting that no matter if they did it or not Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr will be convicted. The mobs baying for Maxine Carr's blood were truly scary, considering that she has not yet been convicted, is still technically innocent and is so far only up for perverting the course of justice. Why are we so engrossed in these cases, and why are we now so obssessed of the danger presented to children by strangers, but oblivious to the greater problems in the home.
Before anyone jumps on me, these are terrible horrific acts, but I can't help but feel that this is not something that happens infrequently, and in this case the media have done nothing but harmed the investigation and whipped up mass hysteria. This afternoon, on the way home after meeting a friend for lunch, there was a small A4 poster on the bus stop about a girl who had been missing for a few months. She was 7 years old, not pretty, and was foolish enough to go missing during the world cup and not the so called 'silly season'. I was just surprised that I have never even vaguely heard of her before.
I’m trying to think why people care about this particularly case so much, while children unfortunately go missing everyday. Why are people screaming to bring back the death penalty, why do they mob police vans, why do I even feel guilty writing this, like in some way I’m supporting or defending the murderer (s)? The media influence definitely is a factor. Both the children were attractive, angelic looking and, like Sarah Payne (Paine? sp?) looked like innocent cherubs. Maybe people see their children in the victims, or maybe the fact that there was the impression of hope at first. Or possibly, maybe there’s some sick thrill out of this, everyone’s heard the rumours flying about, the girls were canabalised, decapitated or had acid dripped on their faces to avoid identification (unlikely I think- people have heard of DNA), maybe that attracts our imagination in some weird horror film way. Personally I think the media coverage has given us a soap opera effect, that whole saga has been played out for us. Its not human nature to care about something you can’t see, which is why we don’t shed tears over any of the other missing children.
Justifiably people are becoming more paranoid about their children’s safety, better checks for schoolworkers are being demanded. Unfortunatly, as soupytwist’s dad has noted, a lot (if not most) forms of violence and sexual abuse towards children happen within the family, while, if I remember rightly, the number of children murdered by strangers have not increased for the past few decades . The Family is not always the bastion of loving security all the time, children’s greatest threat are from members of their families, yet we don’t get as disturbed by this fact, probably because we think we have some protection of our children from inside influences. But silence and abuse still exists in the family and there is no obvious solution for it short of sterilizing people that we suspect to be unfit. We can lock children indoors, keep them safe from strangers, but we can’t keep them safe from their own parents. Maybe I’m being an ignorant ill-informed brat, but I think that that is a prospect far scarier and one that is largely being ignored.
These are just my thoughts, Im largely recording them for my own benefit. Feel free to disagree, I’m interested in other people’s views on this.
Before anyone jumps on me, these are terrible horrific acts, but I can't help but feel that this is not something that happens infrequently, and in this case the media have done nothing but harmed the investigation and whipped up mass hysteria. This afternoon, on the way home after meeting a friend for lunch, there was a small A4 poster on the bus stop about a girl who had been missing for a few months. She was 7 years old, not pretty, and was foolish enough to go missing during the world cup and not the so called 'silly season'. I was just surprised that I have never even vaguely heard of her before.
I’m trying to think why people care about this particularly case so much, while children unfortunately go missing everyday. Why are people screaming to bring back the death penalty, why do they mob police vans, why do I even feel guilty writing this, like in some way I’m supporting or defending the murderer (s)? The media influence definitely is a factor. Both the children were attractive, angelic looking and, like Sarah Payne (Paine? sp?) looked like innocent cherubs. Maybe people see their children in the victims, or maybe the fact that there was the impression of hope at first. Or possibly, maybe there’s some sick thrill out of this, everyone’s heard the rumours flying about, the girls were canabalised, decapitated or had acid dripped on their faces to avoid identification (unlikely I think- people have heard of DNA), maybe that attracts our imagination in some weird horror film way. Personally I think the media coverage has given us a soap opera effect, that whole saga has been played out for us. Its not human nature to care about something you can’t see, which is why we don’t shed tears over any of the other missing children.
Justifiably people are becoming more paranoid about their children’s safety, better checks for schoolworkers are being demanded. Unfortunatly, as soupytwist’s dad has noted, a lot (if not most) forms of violence and sexual abuse towards children happen within the family, while, if I remember rightly, the number of children murdered by strangers have not increased for the past few decades . The Family is not always the bastion of loving security all the time, children’s greatest threat are from members of their families, yet we don’t get as disturbed by this fact, probably because we think we have some protection of our children from inside influences. But silence and abuse still exists in the family and there is no obvious solution for it short of sterilizing people that we suspect to be unfit. We can lock children indoors, keep them safe from strangers, but we can’t keep them safe from their own parents. Maybe I’m being an ignorant ill-informed brat, but I think that that is a prospect far scarier and one that is largely being ignored.
These are just my thoughts, Im largely recording them for my own benefit. Feel free to disagree, I’m interested in other people’s views on this.