Saturday, January 29, 2011

Bogeymen

Why is it that whenever politicians and the media take a swipe at prisoners, they always manage to refer to murderers, rapists and paedophiles?
As - together - this lot comprises the minority of prisoners, is this demonising or just pathetically lazy characterisation?
Oddly, the terms "fine-defaulter" and "petty shoplifter" make much rarer appearances in the debate. How strange...

6 comments:

  1. well said my friend

    ReplyDelete
  2. There are nine syllables in the MRP phrase compared with just three in prisoners. I guess it builds fury - righteous fury, of course, this being Britain. It will soon be overtaken by slaughterers, sexbeasts and kiddiefiddlers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes, why is that? Is it because it sells more newspapers? Keeps the public terrified and buying into the lock em up and throw away the key mob? After all, they don't have to worry about getting prisoners votes do they!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I agree wholeheartedly with all comments above. Yesterday a friend of mine had to interview two very frightened young men who were still going through the reception process at my local prison. Yet again it transpired that one had been through the 'care' system, homeless etc. It makes me furious when politicians and the media refer to prisoners as MRPs, they totally skew public perception and do a lot of damage in my opinion, as well as demonstrating their own ignorance on the matter.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You need a rival resounding phrase, like "Shoplifters, winos and Members of Parliament".

    ReplyDelete
  6. I forgot to mention this in another post comment but when Cameron mentioned about prisoners getting the vote makes him feel physically sick he ought to remember his days at Oxford smoking cannabis and as a member of the Bullingdon Club who were notorious for trashing restaurants and in effect bribing the owners so they wouldn't press charges.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.