MAY I reply to SJ Jones (Wiltshire Times, June 10) regarding my comments about the media coverage of the Manchester bombing. He is missing the point or dodging the issue. It is nothing to do with changing channels. My point was questioning the whole ethos of a society that responds to a dictat, when anyone should be able to choose how to show respect, not as dictated to them.
Like with the aftermath of any such tragedy, it can become an empty gesture after the event, and any attempt to try to prevent it is accused of being racist by the PC-chattering media. Showing respect as people see fit can be more sincere than a mass show with a minute’s silence, then it is all forgotten.
For example, in a supermarket a minute’s silence was started as an 84-year-old lady was talking. She was told to be quiet and this is a big brother attitude. Yes, it was good that the Queen visited the scene and that the singer returned to give another show free of charge. My point being that the broadcasting media are not giving us news but bias and selective opinions with hours of repetitive waffle.
When Princess Diana was killed the BBC shut down the whole of Radio Four. The public bought thousands of pound worth of flowers when it would have been more sincere and helpful if the money had been donated to the land mine clearance organisations she was working with.
When mostly young men kill themselves and/or others because of dangerous and or drunk-drug related driving, there is media coverage of friends showing their respects by putting flower and cans of beer(?) at the scene, but little or no efforts to address the driving of those young men that causes the crash.
D Thomas
Hisomley
Dilton Marsh