Oh, fuck off

[andrewducker]

I'm furious about this story.

It's ot up to the Prime Minister, or anyone else, to tell people how they should feel about something. It's not up to him to tell us who we should, or shouldn't, feel sympathy for.

Do I feel a huge amount of sympathy for Raoul Moat? No. Do I feel a small amount, as I would feel for any other human being who was clearly deeply unhappy? Yes. Do I feel more for his victims and their families? Absolutely. Do I expect everyone else to share my feelings? Hell, no!

If David Cameron wants to announce that he feels no sympathy for Raoul Moat then that's his choice. But he shouldn't claim to speak for me, and he sure as hell shouldn't be telling me what I should feel.

Comments

[bracknellexile.livejournal.com]

So do you equally dislike the start of that final sentence: "There should be sympathy for his victims" just as much or does the end of it bother you more because you agree with Cameron's sentiment in the first part, despite both clauses telling you, in exactly the same manner, what to feel. (Yes, I admit I'm trying to trap you a little here, but I'm curious :)

My biggest problem with all of this tbh, is that, because Moat shot himself, "innocent until proven guilty" has gone out of the window. Now that there will never be a trial, he's a convicted murderer in everyone's eyes, even the PM who should know better.

I know the evidence on display is overwhelming but who knows, it may have come to light in a trial that, however unlikely, he had a plausible insanity defence....

On the plus side, kudos to Facebook for standing their ground.

[andrewducker]

Yeah, the "there should be sympathy" bit also grates with me, but admittedly less. Not sure why.

[marrog.livejournal.com]

I think there's an overriding problem with the idea of politicians being our moral arbiters in any way when it comes to judging The Bad. When it comes to people who are bereaved or or injured; uncontroversially victims, there's less of an issue. I don't think that's overly complicated as a concept to believe in, although I would agree that it's difficult to call at times.

[pete stevens (from livejournal.com)]

Go Facebook. The prime minister didn't tell you to take the page down and you didn't.