I find it strange

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 13 May 2007, 22:04

This is something I've noticed for quite a few years which I now don't just find strange and bizarre but even irritating.

When somebody dies, or in the case of the poor wee soul in Portugal, goes missing - people who don't even know them, have never clapped eyes on them, don't know their family and until their name was in the news didn't even know they existed - start tying flowers to lamp posts, wearing yellow ribbons and waving banners at random football matches

.

Am I missing something?

Post by **wangi** » 13 May 2007, 22:15

And it's totally random... Kids will go missing and it'll barely make the news, and then another does and it's all over the shop. What's the difference, what grabs the public attention?

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 13 May 2007, 22:17

wangi wrote:And it's totally random... Kids will go missing and it'll barely make the news, and then another does and it's all over the shop. What's the difference, what grabs the public attention?

The fact that the parents are both Doctors? But it's not just missing kids, it's trees in the middle of the country covered in dead flowers, or dozens of football strips tied to fences.

Post by **wangi** » 13 May 2007, 22:22

Yeah, just how does it get into the collective conciousness at a Celtic v Aberdeen game ?!?

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 13 May 2007, 22:30

It serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever. As far as I can see it's just a perverse way of trying to get a piece of the action, or hoping someone will think you're such a wonderful person. Flowers are for funerals not for tying to some poor soul's fence to remind the already traumatised people concerned what happened there - especially if it happened to be your wall the motorbike went into for instance.

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 13 May 2007, 22:32

Performance grieving; the nation's latest competitive sport

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 13 May 2007, 22:35

rapunzell wrote:Performance grieving; the nation's latest competitive sport

That's a great name for it R

.

ifstar · Post by **ifstar** » 14 May 2007, 10:48

Reminds me of the episode in the simpsons where Bart pretended to be stuck down a well.

Find it amazing the number of stars who have came out and said "if you have just returned from holiday and you seen anything, can you let the police know", what are the chances that someone seen something but didn't bother mentioning it but now David Beckham has told them to go to the police then they will.

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 14 May 2007, 10:58

Epykat wrote:This is something I've noticed for quite a few years which I now don't just find strange and bizarre but even irritating.

When somebody dies, or in the case of the poor wee soul in Portugal, goes missing - people who don't even know them, have never clapped eyes on them, don't know their family and until their name was in the news didn't even know they existed - start tying flowers to lamp posts, wearing yellow ribbons and waving banners at random football matches .

Am I missing something?

I don't think the idea is a new one.

I don't personally know anyone who died in WW1 or 2, but I still buy and wear a poppy

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 14 May 2007, 15:01

foxy wrote: I don't think the idea is a new one.

I don't personally know anyone who died in WW1 or 2, but I still buy and wear a poppy

Whole nations are touched and changed through war though. All our parents/gandparents/families lives would have been affected, even in some small way, by the WWs.

I think the buying and wearing of poppies quite a constructive and dignified thing and, imo, doesn't really bear comparison with the mass madness that seems to grip a worryingly large minority of people when very personal tragedies befall strangers.

I blame Diana. Everyone started acting crazy when she got squished in that tunnel. National grieving became a new pastime after that.

bearcub · Post by **bearcub** » 14 May 2007, 19:55

I got an email at work today, a sort of montage of Madeleine pictures with the message to forward on to 4 people (like a viral email) you 'know' in Europe asking them to look out for her.

Much as I hope they find her safe, I found the email somehow a bit gratuitous - actually I'm struggling to find the word to describe it but it made me squirm a bit - and don't see it helping.

I think some people feel helpless when something like this happens, and all these 'gestures' are fabricated to give them an outlet for their grief/anger, and to make them feel part of a larger outrage.

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 14 May 2007, 20:07

bearcub wrote:I got an email at work today, a sort of montage of Madeleine pictures with the message to forward on to 4 people (like a viral email) you 'know' in Europe asking them to look out for her

I hope I'm not being too cynical here, but could that email have been a "chain email" with ulterior even nefarious intent?

thumper · Post by **thumper** » 14 May 2007, 21:08

i think each to there own the reason Celtic wore the yellow ribbons were showing support to her family as her father worked at celtic park,

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 14 May 2007, 21:22

I share many of the views already expressed here - but I cannot dare to imagine how awful it must be if I was one of the parents. In this case the parents are trying everything possible to raise awareness in the hope against hope that it may make a difference - there really is not much else they can do to influence the situation. The feeling of hopelessness must be overwhelming and psychologically, keeping themselves busy with an 'awareness campign', is probably what is keeping them sane at the moment.

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 14 May 2007, 22:05

Well however it's demonstrated, thank God people are still prepared to show some empathy and compassion for their fellow humans in this cynical, dog eat dog world that we live in

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 14 May 2007, 22:30

I am glad that people do respond to media reminders, but I wish there was more actual compassion and sympathy, and less bandwagon jumping. There are too many people who couldn't care less about the kids who go missing, until a filmstar or footballer makes one fashionable and they're all trying to join in, but still only with the fashionable one, and still not interested in any of the others who are currently missing, ones with equally devastated families.

It's that twist that disturbs me, not the idea of people showing support and trying to help.

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 14 May 2007, 22:52

bearcub wrote:I got an email at work today, a sort of montage of Madeleine pictures with the message to forward on to 4 people (like a viral email) you 'know' in Europe asking them to look out for her.

We had an automated message left on our answer machine yesterday telling "Mother's of the world unite to pray for Maddy". I found that really creepy.

Talk Porty ~ Portobello

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