Ken Bigley

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 05 Nov 2004, 15:29

Margaret Hassan

Not a lot of meeja noise about this poor lady, who certainly isn't an opportunist carpetbagger (if that should ever be an argument). Very liittle noise about the other victims of horror and kidnap since poor Ken Bigleys death.

Wasn't until I read the paper properly that I realised that a fourth person had been killed with the Black Watch troops.

No noise at all about current kidnap victims in Afghanistan.

Don't know what it means but it does make me feel that we are now being lessened and cheapened and more ignored than before. I remember how NI was reduced for a long time to a simple tale of how 'our boys' were faring against the monsters of evil and its only now that the true evils from all aspects of that conflict are being allowed out into some sort of open discussion.

Sorry for bringing cold water to a Friday.

I'll get back to my post-cold war western consumer economic growth dedicated life later on.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 05 Nov 2004, 17:37

I was under the impression that Margaret Hassan's husband didn't want British publicity hoping instead to emphasize her Irish and Iraqi background which he thought might aid her release. Have I misunderstood?

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 05 Nov 2004, 17:51

The fact of the matter is that it does not matter what background etc the person is from. If chopping your head achieves the hostage takers aims then so be it.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 05 Nov 2004, 17:56

But surely publicity is the aim?

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 09 Nov 2004, 13:18

Is it my imagination or are members of the Black Watch who are killed or injured far more important than anyone else?

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 09 Nov 2004, 13:53

mr magnolia wrote:
Wasn't until I read the paper properly that I realised that a fourth person had been killed with the Black Watch troops.

porty wrote:is it my imagination or are members of the Black Watch who are killed or injured far more important than anyone else?

yes they are (to the media)

Very difficult one to balance though, as a dead or injured Black Watch soldier will 'mean' more to us in this country than a dead or injured Iraqi in that its surely easier for us to imagine it being a member of our 'own' family / group / or whatever. Its a degree of remoteness less.

BTW, what on earth was the BBC thinking of last night - showing (and allowing us to hear) American soldiers praying to 'their' Lord Jesus Christ before going into battle? Talk about Holy Jihad - they may as well label the battle as the 27th crusade.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 09 Nov 2004, 14:12

mr magnolia wrote:yes they are (to the media)

Very difficult one to balance though, as a dead or injured Black Watch soldier will 'mean' more to us in this country than a dead or injured Iraqi in that its surely easier for us to imagine it being a member of our 'own' family / group / or whatever. Its a degree of remoteness less.

Can't really argue with that in terms of kinsmen. However, its what they get paid for. Unlike the civilians and aid workers who are being killed.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 09 Nov 2004, 14:24

Mr Magnolia wrote:

BTW, what on earth was the BBC thinking of last night - showing (and allowing us to hear) American soldiers praying to 'their' Lord Jesus Christ before going into battle? Talk about Holy Jihad - they may as well label the battle as the 27th crusade.

Yep, and a day or so previous, we heard this chilling comment from Colonel Gary Brandl of the United States Marine Corps

Ã‚Â
"The enemy has a face. It is Satan's. He is in Fallujah, and we are going to destroy him."