Lordy said:Charles said:Quoted message said:> It is described as outrageous racist crime with the dead 18 year being
> black and his murderer white. It is dreadful and the perpetrator
> should be strung up.
>
> However, at about the same time as that horrendous murder was being
> carried out, a 28 year old young man was stabbed to death on the top
> deck of a London bus, for remonstrating with another passenger who was
> throwing his food at the 28 year old's girl-friend.
>
> This murder was relegated to the inside pages and received only two
> column inches, and was mentioned only briefly in the TV news. The race
> of the unfortunate victim was not mentioned, and neither was the race
> of his murderer, despite there being a large number of eye-witnesses.
>
> It has just been revealed that the victim was white, and the murderer
> black.
>
> Double standards - and why?
Those double standards may well be true, but the facts (that we know) about
each case are different. Once appears to be clearly racially motivated. The
other is not known for sure.
In the first, the black chap was chased and racially insulted and the
attention appeared to be because of his white girlfriend.
In the second, the black murderer was throwing chips at "a number" of
passengers on the top deck. (Were all white? Was there any racial
motivation? That bus passes my workplace and - although I'm pissing in the
wind here - it is very likely some non-white people may have felt
threatened enough to move) Some passengers moved downstairs and the white
chap stayed upstairs with his girlfriend - with one other witness I think.
That does not discount a racial motive for the second murder, but there is
no clear evidence that *we* know of that it was.
And unfortunately, getting an axe in the head is more sensational that
getting knifed to death, though the outcome is the same. Axe's always
generate good column inches.
and in light if Stephen Lawrence it could be that the police and press are
over-reacting, as it was largely police indifference to another dead black
youth *at that time* that
is responsible for Stephens killers being free today.
Finally the second story was on some front pages but, granted, no where
near as much column inches, and as much legs, as the first.
Personally I think its the gruesomeness (axe to the head) that really set
the two stories apart. Young men are actually stabbed to death all too
often by other young men. (Apart from domestic it wouldnt surprise me if
it's the most common form of murder) In fact, its proximity to the former
story, may have helped give the latter one more press.
A well balanced and thoughtful response Lordy, and you appear to have
grasped the point I was making.
It is noticeable that our valiant Fourth Estate continues to report
with vast coverage of the unfortunate young black man's death, yet I
have not seen or heard any update of the circumstances of the poor
white chap's demise.
Thus I also am not able to ascertain whether the killing was racially
motivated or not. However, I have no doubt if this killing was the
other way round also, there would immediately have been a racist label
attached to it.
The media has much to answer for, and it is a sad violent world in
which some people have unfortunately to live.
How are you, you have been missing for some time? ;o)
John