Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Not all victims are equal

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  • Emma Hart,

    You’re referring to Marie Davis’ mother’s concerns over Bebo? Well, shit, she’s just lost her daughter (who, at the time of the comments, was missing with foul play the likely reason). And she was exactly screeming about it (from what I read, which was not exhaustive).

    No, I was referring to the way one comment by Marie Davis's mother was reported, and linking it to the 'Suicide Girls' beat-up. You're right, she wasn't screaming about it at all, but it became a banner headline. That's what disturbs me.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    No, I was referring to the way one comment by Marie Davis's mother was reported, and linking it to the 'Suicide Girls' beat-up. You're right, she wasn't screaming about it at all, but it became a banner headline. That's what disturbs me.

    Absolutely. The Star Times filled up half its front page on the basis of single comment from Marie Davis's mother.

    Add to that the risible speculation in various other programmes and publications about the link to a movie Marie couldn't possibly have seen -- an angle all those publications then quietly dropped.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Andrew Paul Wood,

    Too much forensic porn like CSI and Bones on telly I'd say.

    Christchurch • Since Jan 2007 • 175 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Absolutely. The Star Times filled up half its front page on the basis of single comment from Marie Davis's mother.

    Add to that the risible speculation in various other programmes and publications about the link to a movie Marie couldn't possibly have seen -- an angle all those publications then quietly dropped.

    I don't blame Marie Davis' mother for having a single comment used as the (sadly unsurprisingly) flimsy hook for another Beebo moral panic story with all the substance of candy floss in a monsoon. But why the hell shouldn't SST editrix Cate Brett keep running these stories? If she wasn't sacked over the Operation Leaf farce ( did any part of that story have any basis in reality?), it's scary to imagine what it would take for Fairfax to show her or any other editor the door.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Sofie wrote:

    the centre needs a sat phone,and change the 'crossing a swollen river' policies.

    To put a bit of context on this, I saw an interview on Breakfast the day after, where someone (I can't remember who, but they were in a position to know. I think he was a meteorologist) was saying that in the space of an hour (measured on the hour, the half-hour, then the following hour) the river went from 0.5 cumecs, to 18 cumecs, and back to 0.5 cumecs. It's all very well to say that OPC needs to revise their procedures, and they probably do, but that is a phenomenal variation in flow volume in a very short space of time and it may be that there was actually very little that the instructor could've done differently.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    it's scary to imagine what it would take for Fairfax to show her or any other editor the door.

    Oh, I'm sure that if Fairfax acquired Bebo then negative references to it would all get spiked.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • samuel walker,

    But isn't 'civilization' nothing more than the extent to which we place restraints -- however imperfect they might be -- on our most atavistic urges? Slowly and painfully, the raging vengeance of the Furies with the rule of law. It's a struggle without end, but if you're not even going to fight your own reptilian brain, what's left except the mob and the endless night?

    rousing stuff craig.

    I would personally change restraints to controls; or guides maybe. Its not so much about dulling these primal reactions as acting on them within the confines of humanism.

    One of the walkouts was a woman whose daughter was the victim of a gang murder in 1997: she's got a pass to say and think what she likes.

    Whilst I have empathy for anyone in a similar situation. If she is using an isolated event to argue publicly for and unneccessary and unfair social systems change then I would contend that no, she doesnt have a pass.

    But the SST had a policy of its own: a three strikes law that would see repeat violent offenders given the mandatory maximum ......

    If they want to get anyone to take this at all seriously they really need a name other than 3 strikes. If your first thoughts about the proposal are to compare it to an international joke it's going to be an uphill battle.

    Since Nov 2006 • 203 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    If she is using an isolated event to argue publicly for and unneccessary and unfair social systems change then I would contend that no, she doesnt have a pass.

    I don't think that victims of crime get to write laws. I think they should have a good amount of input into it however. In much the same way that we should hear from the criminals.

    If they want to get anyone to take this at all seriously they really need a name other than 3 strikes. If your first thoughts about the proposal are to compare it to an international joke it's going to be an uphill battle.

    Sadly, I think the simplicity of the sporting metaphor is part of what has made this a popular policy.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    Didn't come through as expected - click to 3 months and there is a wee change.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Yes, of course variations are normal. I used to live in Lower Hutt, 500 metres from a river that could flood adjacent roads to a depth of 1.5 metres, so I know all about volume variation. But a 36-fold increase in volume in the space of 30 minutes is very extreme, especially when it goes away again 30 minutes later. That spike in the Ashley Gorge is impressive, but looks like it abated over a period of at least a couple of days.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks,

    I was referring to the way one comment by Marie Davis's mother was reported, and linking it to the 'Suicide Girls' beat-up. You're right, she wasn't screaming about it at all, but it became a banner headline. That's what disturbs me.

    Fair enough. I agree with that.

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

  • tussock,

    Pfft, 100 fold increases in floods are nothing, we get well over that in the Shag valley. Of course, having a near-zero base helps there.

    Anyhoo, according to media tidbits, kids dead because an adventure company with a proper safety certificate wasn't subscribed to the weather warning system correctly, but thought they were, so ignored the oncoming rain, and ended up with nowhere to go when it hit.

    String of errors and such. Poor bloody guide. What a hell of a thing to live with.

    The Christian sect is in it's element as a result, a shining beacon of love and forgiveness leading others to Christ and all that. Remarkably well rounded people, really, could teach the SST bunch a thing or two about being a victim, if only they didn't insist on wrapping up all their good sense in fairy stories.

    Since Nov 2006 • 611 posts Report Reply

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    They are showing a particular grace & dignity that is to be admired.

    I'm not looking to place blame just a little knowledge of mountain conditions and how quickly they can & do change.

    Drowning was the 'New Zealand disease' before bridges were set up to cover our many rivers & there are macabre risk stats about expected deaths per number of people going bush.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

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