Death of a newspaper salesman

[gypseymission]

I think I have used this quote before.

In Robert Bolt's play, A Man for all Seasons, Thomas More asks Roper a question.

“MORE [Would you] Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?

ROPER I'd cut down every law in England to do that!

MORE (Roused and excited) Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned round on you-where would

Comments

[ellebabe]

support for the police during the matter has suddenly.....vaporised

This is so true. Even with the thinking that 'the police are people too' and that 'there are always a minority that f*ck up things for the majority' - nothing can excuse the fact that the police force cannot be seen to allow or support this type of stupid, unprovoked thuggery.

[spangle_kitten]

I was utterly horrified by it. My head's been in the shed the last week dealing with Thomas, so have only really just caught up with the news and politics. I was vaguely aware of it as I'd caught a snippet on the radio saying it was a heart attack, but then being faced with this this morning was just unbelievable

[crookedmonkey]

I've just been talking about this in the office and a few colleagues responded with 'well what was he doing there if he wasn't protesting?' as though his very presence in an area of the city somehow justified his treatment. Even if he was protesting - he clearly wasn't being aggressive or particularly obstructive. The right to demonstrate, and the right to be a guy in a place I think are fairly fundamental principles of this 'democracy' and having colleagues make statements like that kind of wound me up. Trying to avoid wishing they get accidentally embroiled in a Peterloo Massacre scenario by virtue of being a guy in a place.

[gypseymission]

I almost have some sympathy for the view that if you turn up to a fight you shouldn't be surprised if you get hit, but this is clearly different. The chap was working his normal job which happened to place him in the street. He had probably walked along that street every day at that time for quite a few years and didn't think he was doing anything different from normal. The fact that it was the representatives of law that committed an act of violence upon him whilst he was doing what he had done every day is sick and no response from your colleagues can excuse it

[robot_mel]

Interesting I always thought of the police state being a result of right wing government, ultra-fascism and all that. But now I can see how you can get there from the left, the need to protect citizens from themselves. It is a tragedy and totally inexcusable. Reminds me of the whole Rodney King farce, hopefully there will be more justice this time.

[gypseymission]

It was Thatcher's Britain in the eighties when I saw the play (wish I could remember the name of it) and I had the opportunity to talk to the author about it. At the time he was a bit apologetic about it as the left wing Wilson, Callaghan Governments had been firmly defeated before that point had been reached and the Tories had a stronghold (1988). I remember thinking at the time that I didn't see how it could happen either but the concept of a government protecting citizens from themselves, coupled with an arrogance, and no doubt a will to cling to power that is common in all politicians, has proved him to be right. It is truly terrifying. I don’t want Tory hypocrisy to substitute the current sad state of affairs and so changing the nature of government is sounding like an increasingly better option