Sick

by Rick Johansen

I was just looking at a Times and Sunday Times live webcam from Spain which is showing the destruction caused by the terrible floods. It is heartbreaking. But not just the disaster: some of the comments from people viewing the live feed. Just look at some of these:

  • Damn gotta park those cars correctly. This is not india
  • ​​can’t park there
  • THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU VOTE AGAINST ISRAEL.​​ ZECHARIAH CHAPTER 12 VERSE 3.
  • ​​where is the water?
  • Sorry, I left the faucet running
  • free cars
  • man in blue shirt looting (to which the reply comes)​​ Nah man, he’s not black.
  • It was a woman’s parking contest.

At this point, let’s remind ourselves of how many people have died so far as a result of this ongoing tragedy. At least 158 people, some of whom died, almost certainly horribly, in their cars. And for some people it’s not a tragedy at all. It’s just a bit of a laugh and an excuse for some sick racism.

I’m reading this – again – and I’m thinking, am I too much of a snowflake? I keep being told that there is humour in anything. So, a few quick gags about people losing everything in a catastrophic flood can’t do any harm, can it? Call me old fashioned, but I am reminded of the title of an old Joe Walsh album: You Can’t Argue With A Sick Mind.

The “man in blue shirt” wasn’t, of course, looting. He was sorting through the carnage left by the rains. For all we know, he may have found the corpses of people drowned along the way but wait, he’s not black so he’s not looting at all. How can anyone in any circumstances think in that way? That Nah man, he’s not black slur, eh? 

These people are anonymous. Of course they are. But you can be sure that behind the fake name, there lies a sicko and a racist. No one who was upset by the pictures coming from Spain will make a joke about it and then post it by way of a pseudonym. They meant it. They are telling us what they are, even though they are not telling us who they are. But I will say they are gutless cowards.

Having said that, there were only a few dozen people making comments, which is in truth a tiny number. The vast majority of, shall I say, decent people would be appalled.

I do wish that the likes of YouTube and, increasingly since Elon Musk bought it, twitter would take steps to ban anonymous accounts or at the very least know who the users are and if necessary take action against them, like kicking them off the platforms and retaining their details for the police to deal with, if necessary. I would have thought the Nah man, he’s not black comment might just be against the law?

My heart aches for the victims of the Spanish floods, Those who have lost their homes, those who have lost their lives. If the comments above are the new normal and I have had a humour by pass, then I am happy to be abnormal and humourless. Whatever they say, the haters just aren’t funny. And, as Christopher Hitchens said following the death of Jerry Falwell, it’s a pity there isn’t a hell for (them) to go to.

 

 

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