by Redrider » Mon Oct 18, 2004 6:45 pm
Thanks Everton Babe, copy of Email attached below :
Boris,
Bit of regional stereotyping going on here.
To link an indication of public sympathy over the execution of Ken Bigley, which was mainly meant as an indication of support for his immediate family who are resident in Liverpool with the Hillsborough Tragedy and accuse the people of Liverpool of ''wallowing in victim status'' is a gross insult on your part.
The Hillsborough Tragedy caused a loss of 96 lives and a great deal of anger on Merseyside, as the Yorkshire Constabulary aided by some of the less reputable press decided they could cover up their own inadequate crowd control measures by blaming the deaths on the people themselves.
People, from Liverpool and Merseyside are traditionally not scared of making their opinions known or exposing their emotions, I guess it comes from the mix of Irish and Welsh economic migrants, together with the cosmopolitan nature of people who live in a major port, who go to sea and travel the world. Also, the nature of employment on Merseyside has rarely been one of secure industries, but mainly one of transient occupations where work has been offered for a day, on ship or on a voyage. More substantial industries have all suffered from terminal decline as in the case of Shipbuilding and most recently the Commerce and Insurance sector. All this adds to a population who are to a certain extent, living on the edge of economic viability as a major conurbation and as a result have to support each other through periods of hardship etc.
Now, if you really wished to be critical of an over generous outpouring of misplaced public sympathy, you might have to go no further than the front door of the office of your magazine or to the portals of the Palace of Westminster where never has so much been expressed by so many over the untimely death of a member of the Royals who was not wished to me remembered as a member of the Royal Family.
However, I would not like you to accuse me of Regional Stereotyping, because all we have is an example of people expressing genuine sympathy of an event or person that is important to them.
The lesson that you, as a man in an elevated position as a Member of Parliament and Editor of the Spectator need to learn, is that you should not judge all people by your own standards and experiences, as you obviously have a great deal of life to experience before you can understand life outside of your own closeted environment.
You owe a more than generous apology to the people of Liverpool and most of all to the Family of Ken Bigley in Liverpool, who have retained a great deal more dignity throughout his capture and execution than I am afraid that you will ever be capable of expressing.
Yours Sincerely,
Redrider.
