Unbelievable

[iainjclark]

Seen on a newsstand, today's Daily Express front page headline is:

"BOMBERS ARE ALL SPONGEING ASYLUM SEEKERS"

Although it's somewhat difficult for me to believe that this isn't a spoof, I suppose it's better than what they probably would have liked to print:

"ASYLUM SEEKERS ARE ALL SPONGEING BOMBERS"

Trouble is, of course, that since a few of the bombers *are* asylum seekers, now all asylum seekers will be tarred with the same very large brush. The fact that these particular asylum seekers arrived with their families at the ages of 12 and 14, and that those families have condemned their actions, appears to be neither here nor there as far as the press is concerned. (It's tough to imagine the headline "Murderer was middle-class white man". Because even where it's true, it isn't deemed to be a newsworthy distinction to make.)

In contrast, today's Independent has this reassuringly sober account, in which a strangely small number of bombers appear to be spongeing asylum seekers:

"Three of the 7 July bombers were British-born, of Pakistani origin, and the fourth was a Jamaica-born Briton. None of the killers had committed serious criminal offences, although one had been investigated by MI5 for association with a terror suspect.

Details of the second cell shows they come from Somalia and Eritrea but have lived legally in the UK for more than 10 years. Links are emerging between the two groups, but it is far from certain that they knew of each other."

Meanwhile the BBC summarises what's known about them so far.

Comments

[veggiesu.livejournal.com]

<3 The Independent. Contemptuous loathing for the Express.

[iainjclark.livejournal.com]

There really ought to be a symbol on the keyboard for "contemptuous loathing." Other than the Windows key, obviously.

[veggiesu.livejournal.com]

:-p

Maybe we should commandeer the tilde? No-one outside of academia and *nix-land uses it anyway. "I ~ in your general direction"?

[iainjclark.livejournal.com]

Don't you point that squiggle at me!

[veggiesu.livejournal.com]

~

[iainjclark.livejournal.com]

Some might say I walked into that one. :-P

[veggiesu.livejournal.com]

Some might even suggest "deliberately", with a side order of "enjoyed it" :-p

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I never thought a tilde would make me laugh.

[fba.livejournal.com]

*Points at the entire Spanish nation*

[veggiesu.livejournal.com]

Pfft. Entirely different context.

[ajp.livejournal.com]

The Daily Express is the most evil, and hateful rag ever created. Burning is too good for it...

[iainjclark.livejournal.com]

Clearly by focusing my withering disdain on the Daily Mail I've missed out on giving the Daily Express its due loathing.

[ajp.livejournal.com]

To be fair, there's not much in it. They're both nearly as bad as each other...

[itchyfidget.livejournal.com]

I know ... my heart sank when I heard about it (indeed, when the story hit the news that they were asylum seekers at all).

The whole thing is skewered rather nicely in today's diary in the Guardian.

[iainjclark.livejournal.com]

The whole thing is skewered rather nicely in today's diary in the Guardian.

Very nice. :-) I approve.