Why is it that the victims of crime think that their grief should be used as a political weapon?
The father of a man killed in the London Bridge attack has accused Boris Johnson of lying and making “political capital” from his son’s death during the BBC leaders’ debate.
The only person I see here making any political capital is David Merritt. Just as with the Jo Cox murder, her husband, Brendan, used it as a platform to engage in blatantly partisan politics. I think we can take it that Merritt is not a Conservative. That’s fine. Not a problem. However, what we do not need is him using his son’s death – as Brendan Cox did with his wife – to peddle a particular brand of politics. It is utterly insidious and lacks any sense of decorum.
David Merritt is a hypocrite – he is doing precisely what he claims Boris Johnson is doing.
Frankly, it is time to shut up, go away and grieve in private with a bit of dignity.
Following last Friday’s attack, the Conservatives have pledged to toughen up prison sentences. Merritt believes this would have angered his son, who had “devoted his energy to the purpose” of prisoner rehabilitation.
This is a sensible response – and I don’t give a hoot for what might have angered his son, It is irrelevant what he might have thought. He was clearly misguided and paid a heavy price for that belief and I’m sorry for that. But he was wrong and his potential anger is not a reason to stifle sensible discussion on the subject.
I’m amazed that it has taken this long for anyone to cotton on to what happens with ridiculously short prison sentences, so, yes, I agree with Johnson here. And, yes, given that it is topical, I expect him to talk about it. We, the rest of the electorate, have a right to expect Johnson, who is hoping to return to the role of PM, to explain how he plans to deal with these events in future and what he has in mind to prevent future occurrences.
I do understand that Merritt is lashing out in his grief. I do, however, expect him to keep that grief private and not use the media as a megaphone. And I would expect a sensible, responsible media to tell him to go away and grieve privately and not to loudly proclaim his wisdom in their disgusting rags because it suits their political bias. They and he are a disgrace.
Unfortunately, it appears there is nothing which the left won’t use/misuse to make political points, however distasteful. Even more unfortunately, there is a number of ‘useful idiots’ who will swallow it – hook, line, and sinker.
Yeah, perhaps if Khan hadn’t been released from prison early his son would probably be alive. There… I said it. Someone has to.
Everyone I know said it!
Fairly obvious response, I’d have thought.
Notice how the other family are remaining quiet and avoiding the limelight. Merritt could do with following their example.
But as a poster on another site noted, if Khan had served his whole sentence he would just have murdered someone else on his release.
I would have these people rehabilitated at the end of a rope. Turned off so they could have the 10 to 20 minutes to ponder their crimes whist doing their Tyburn jig.