Celebrity Victim
I was listening to the radio and the impact of a murder was being discussed. In order to understand the effect on the family of the victim the host introduced a lady whom “we may remember” whose husband was murdered more than ten years ago. This started me thinking about the whole nature of victims of crime appearing on the media.
How many people are murdered every year? Yet still, after all this time, this lady is being wheeled out to give the definitive viewpoint on the issue of the families of victims of crime. And it is always the same people. This got me to thinking, how do the people who put these shows together know who to approach to speak on behalf of victims?
Surely there cant be an agency for these people? Do you look at mug shots on the agency’s website to see whose mascara runs best as they weep at the memory of their loved ones? Do you call the agency when you need a victim demanding “No, I don’t want the father whose daughter was murdered when she was away, I need a girl who saw her boyfriend murdered in a road rage attack. A pretty one, who cries alot!”?
Not even I think that something so tasteless exists, but the fact remains that there must be a way to contact these people. I’ve not checked, but I’m guessing that there isn’t a ’Relatives of Murder Victims’ section in the Yellow Pages, in which case, the only other way that springs to mind by way of these people being openly available is that they are actively involved in working to support people in the same situation as themselves. Admirable certainly, in theory, but how noble are they actually being? I don’t know, but I’m speculating that some of these people have set up their own support groups, established in the memory of those close to them who have died. But why? Victim Support, and other similar organisations, already exist and do excellent work. Victim Support, certainly, relies on the goodwill of volunteers and charitable donations but they also now have to compete with the growing industry of support groups founded in peoples memories, damaging its effectiveness. There would now appear to be ego along with the suffering. A new breed of ‘Celebrity Victim’.
I’m sorry, I know its not a rant, or even interesting, but it has been on my mind.
How many people are murdered every year? Yet still, after all this time, this lady is being wheeled out to give the definitive viewpoint on the issue of the families of victims of crime. And it is always the same people. This got me to thinking, how do the people who put these shows together know who to approach to speak on behalf of victims?
Surely there cant be an agency for these people? Do you look at mug shots on the agency’s website to see whose mascara runs best as they weep at the memory of their loved ones? Do you call the agency when you need a victim demanding “No, I don’t want the father whose daughter was murdered when she was away, I need a girl who saw her boyfriend murdered in a road rage attack. A pretty one, who cries alot!”?
Not even I think that something so tasteless exists, but the fact remains that there must be a way to contact these people. I’ve not checked, but I’m guessing that there isn’t a ’Relatives of Murder Victims’ section in the Yellow Pages, in which case, the only other way that springs to mind by way of these people being openly available is that they are actively involved in working to support people in the same situation as themselves. Admirable certainly, in theory, but how noble are they actually being? I don’t know, but I’m speculating that some of these people have set up their own support groups, established in the memory of those close to them who have died. But why? Victim Support, and other similar organisations, already exist and do excellent work. Victim Support, certainly, relies on the goodwill of volunteers and charitable donations but they also now have to compete with the growing industry of support groups founded in peoples memories, damaging its effectiveness. There would now appear to be ego along with the suffering. A new breed of ‘Celebrity Victim’.
I’m sorry, I know its not a rant, or even interesting, but it has been on my mind.