Killings in Charleston, South Carolina

I need to write something about unfolding events in America as I understand a young man has been arrested for the shooting of nine innocent people. My thoughts go out to the people of Charleston, South Carolina and all its townsfolk and most especially the families and loved ones of the people so senselessly shot in the past hours. 

I am deeply troubled by a country that has shot and killed more of its own people than it has in wars it has waged elsewhere. I am deeply troubled by how many of these people shot in recent times may be people of colour. I am deeply troubled by the actions of someone seemingly given a firearm on their 21st birthday.  I was given a watch. 

I do not share the faith of those shot down in their church, I am an atheist. I do not share your culture and ethnic background, I am white and about as Caucasian as it is possible to be and from Britain. What I do share is your absolute right to be safe wherever you chose to bow your heads in prayer, to believe whatsoever you choose to believe and I will defend your right to do so with the very last breath in my body. I will not however take up arms against my enemy, that is his foolishness and clearly his gravest mistake for in killing others of whatever birthright or origin, he is unaware he is killing his brother, in the greatest ignorance imaginable he does not understand the truth that he is merely killing himself.

I find I am deeply disturbed by seemingly how fast youngsters appear to be being brainwashed by Isil or Isis terrorists so completely where once a young man described as a 'loving, kind and caring and affable teenager' turns into someone prepared to commit suicide by blowing themselves up in the business of killing innocent people in the name of supposed faith. I am also moved to the very marrow by what I read from this one young man's family The family of ISIS suicide bomber Talha Asmal (17) have spoken about their natural 'utter devastation and heartbreak' also went on to say something I found profoundly moving. Bravely and sanely put at an extraordinary time of such levels of distress few of us could imagine. 

 "As a family we would like to take this opportunity to unequivocally state that Isis are not Islam. They do not represent in any way, shape or form Islam and Muslims and we are no longer prepared to allow a barbaric group like Isis to hijack our faith" 

That is dignity!

Hell hath no fury like . . . . . .journalists and Twitter feeds . . . . . 

Ever get the feeling you have been played?

Ahh the power of the press, yellow journalism and the strength of mass reactionary drone's following social media. Twitter . . .What IS the past participle of tweet? Oh yeah that's TWAT!

On the strength of reporting someone high up in Academe saying something really silly at a conference this professor (Prof Tim Hunt) has lost several jobs. Now of course that someone says something stupid at conference is no rarity (whatever your gender eh ladies? Ever do anything daft at conference?.) but tweeting comments in seconds and accusing them of being "Victorian" (ooh BURN!) is a sign of the times and of course there are digital ezines likely to pick up the snot rag and run with it. Note 'Vagenda' . . . . See what they did there? SO funny! 

Start a hashtag #disconcertinglysexy. There then followed an outcry from these women of science who could scarcely have reacted more predictably. Dance dance DANCE! You know NOT looking distractingly sexy in photos . . Ha ha ha SO funny

I know let's keep the pressure up until the Nobel Laureate Professor has no jobs at all! Completely unemployed! let's see if we can make them do that by morning shall we?

Ha ha ha ha . . . . . .

But he didn't actually say women were "distractingly sexy"? No we did! Better sound bite. Oh is that exactly fair? Who cares? Well he talked about falling in love not sex. Meh! He talked about women needing to be tougher and furthering their position in Science and maybe it would help to have segregated labs! Wasn't that ironic? Wasn't he trying to be funny? You know like the damp wet rag who called him Victorian?

Well yeah but that's beside the point the game is to see whether first we can get him to lose ALL his jobs and a side plate of 'can we get it on the front page of the papers'?

Job done! How many points did I get? What can we play next!

First one to get a topless photo of the 'girl' who took her kecks off on a sacred mountain!

First interview? Nah! Too easy . . . . . . .