Wednesday, January 07, 2015



8 comments:

The Crow said...

Me, too, and I just posted it to a friend.

The Crow said...

PS: I borrowed your image; thank you.

Zhoen said...

Likewise, merci.

Catalyst said...

So sorry.

Roderick Robinson said...

Steve Bell, the Guardian's great cartoonist, threw together a hurried response: two guys with skeletons painted on their black outfits, carrying Kalashnikovs, saying to each other "Why are the bastards still laughing at us?"

In fact, I was far from laughing at the time but I got his point: this is the one response they cannot counter. Like all zealots they lack a sense of humour.

One thing comforts me. France may or not catch them (they've already identified them by name, two brothers, both with records). If they do there'll be no gory aftermath. In the dull way it is with democracies adhering to the rule of law, there'll be a trial and they'll be put away. Decades of opportunities for contemplation is a far better answer than lopping their heads off. Growing old as murderers.

And it's just possible they may get off - perhaps on a technicality. If so they should contemplate that too. As should we. Staying out of the barbaric pit.

Crafty Green Poet said...

Moi aussi

Lucy said...

Thanks people. The image wasn't mine of course anyway, but originated from Charlie-Hebdo's site and free for the taking.

Robbie - I saw that Steve Bell cartoon. As I write now it sounds as if they have them cornered, how gory the aftermath will be we don't yet know. We've been inclined to think they won't take them alive. It's hard to imagine they could get off as you say, but I'm afraid I don't have much faith in prison anywhere as a place where people are forced to contemplate their wrongdoing to any good effect. It seems more that the atmosphere there is conducive to breeding the toxicity than containing and neutralising it. Which is not to say there are any better answers.

Anyway, we had our first laugh about it last night when we observed the Beeb had sent Huw Edwards over, which led us to speculate that perhaps someone was hoping that while journos were getting bumped off in Paris they might be able to get rid of him that way. A bit of tasteless black humour we thought was truly honouring the Charlie spirit.

Roderick Robinson said...

I did mean a legalistic gory aftermath, of course. Actually a fatal shoot-out is the most likely outcome.

In any case I was overly optimistic. Marine le Pen is asking for a referendum on re-establishing the death penalty - ho hum, back to the dark ages. Most people are fairly certain Brits would vote Yes if they got the chance.

Huw in his suit - I can't see Charlie agreeing that he and Huw were in the same line of business. What a shockingly easy target. Like that scene with the water melon in The Day... No, you're right, bad taste.