Well this past week or so has turned up some rather interesting views and also some more interesting facts i have learned about myself.
The lows this past week have included the following:
Newspapers:
You may think i am referring to the News of the world phone hacking. Yes, i agree this is utterly disgusting and the quicker this is sorted out the better, for everyone involved now and for everyone it could potentially affect in the future!!
However, closer to home and closer to my heart would have to be my local newspaper - The Press.
Until now i was proud to say i worked at this paper. I enjoyed my time there, the people i worked with and more importantly the job i did and the clients i had. I thought, when i worked there i wouldn't mind becoming a journalist. Not anymore.
My friend was recently up on three counts of rape. A serious charge and actual rapists deserve everything they get.
The Press covered his case, printing his name and his address, along with some utter rubbish that had either been written down wrong by the reporter or had just made up - either way, it should not have been printed.
The first day they published this it was splashed all over the front page and also inside the paper. The days following this it was at least a half page spread inside and it was billed outside outlets. They portraid him as the guilty one, completely tarnishing his good name and making this whole ordeal far worse than what it had to be, not just for him but also upsetting for his friends and family.
When you know someone, their friends and their family you have a pretty good idea as to what they are capable of - he is most definitely not capable of this. He is polite, honest and caring. Currently he is volunteering in a bid to help him become a teacher of special needs children. Something which takes compassion and a hell of a lot of patience.
So this stupid girl decides after conducting some sexual behaviour on a night out that she regrets doing what she did (her boyfriend quite possibly wouldn't be overly chuffed either) Well i can only assume regret was the reasoning behind what she did and that was to cry rape. Unfortunately my friend was on the receiving end.
Now if it wasn't for him, chances are this would have been thrown out before it even got to court. Why. Because she had a story and a memory that had so many holes in, a worm would have been pleased to weave in and out of it! Could this be because she couldn't remember her initial story and didn't want to be caught out? Hmmmm. My friend however remembered EVERYTHING!!
After a lengthy court trial, the jury broke to decide his fate. The following two hours were quite possibly the worst two hours of his, his friends and his families life. Was he about to be sent to prison for crimes he didn't commit because an over-enthusiastic drama student got frisky. Or would the jury see through her pathetic crocodile tears and see what an outstanding young man with so much potential he was?
Two hours, that is all it took for the decision to be made!
Now, this whole affair made me realise. Firstly i could not be in law, especially a barrister. I get pretty hyped up and rather passionate about something i truly believe in and a number of times wanted to scream and shout at a number of people. Something which sometimes you just cant do and you have to have some decorum about you. (Don't worry, i kept my decorum) I may not be able to say the same if i were to ever come across her in the street. I would have a few choice words to say, which cannot be repeated, which ladies shouldn't even know and which my Grandparents would be utterly horrified at me knowing. You know what though - she deserves it.
She lied. She made his name mud. She got off Scott free. Yep, because someone, somewhere decided that in these cases the defendant's name could be splashed about like a freakin dulux ad yet her name kept totally clean.
I believe that until the verdict both names should be kept out of the media. When the verdict is passed then if it is a guilty verdict, then print the guilty persons name. If it is not guilty then the prosecutions name should be printed. Why oh why should someone accusing that person get off Scott free??
So on Tuesday, i sat on tender hooks with my Blackberry stuck to me like a third arm, awaiting the verdict. On Wednesday i waltzed into my local Press outlet, seeing the billboard outside pleased me. I walked up to the stand and there in front of me, on the front page was some story about a boy who could have caused an accident with his planking! To the left was a small nib about said rape case, directing you to PAGE 5, where there was a quarter page story!
Earlier on in the week there had been a story about my local milkman who was retiring after 41 years of service, on PAGE 3!!!
So let me get this summed up for you:
Tuesday - Front page - BIG headline. Innocent man's name tarnished.
Wednesday - Saturday - Half a page spread about what "apparently" occurred to this poor defenseless young 18 year old!
Wednesday - Small nib and quarter page!
Now i have spoken to him and he is happy with this. Then again he would be - he is so upbeat, chilled out and in general a nice guy, you wouldn't expect anything less!
Friends: Another low and again with regards to the above situation.
I know from him that during this time he has found out the hard way who his friends are and who he could really do without in his life!!
A friend cull by the worst possible way!!
I too have been in a situation (not half as bad may i add) where i have had to have a real life friend cull. It is truly devastating, heart wrenching and not something i wish anyone to go through.
Friends are the non-biological family you have in your life. They should be as important to you as you are to you!!
Never forget that.
Birds: I love birds, they are gorgeous, graceful tuneful creatures and come in so many shapes, sizes, colours and breeds that everyone must love at least one type!
Yet in the past few weeks i have had to bury in my garden three Blackbirds - this makes me sad.
The first i believe was poorly, it was a baby, not many feathers and i saw Mummy bird, carrying it out of the nest and then drop it. So i was unsure as to weather it was dead prior to it meeting the floor, or if the fall killed it. Either way, i believe it was probably for the best.
The second was found outside my front door. I was about to go jogging with a friend who had come round 10 minutes prior and she assured me it wasn't there then. So that was moved and buried next to the first.
Then there was baby bird who couldn't get onto the garage roof to fly off, so i helped it. It kept coming back to my back door and i fed it. I don't know what happened but i found it at the bottom of my garden, dead. He too is now with the other two and my dead fat fish in the garden.
This makes me sad and yet a part of me also thinks there is weird and not so wonderful sign out there!!
My watch: I love watches. That statement is enough in itself.
I don't have as many as i would like and even less now. So they say things come in 3's.... Four weeks ago i lost my beautiful, handmade pearl bracelet that my friend Angi made me. I have mentioned her on here before. I was devastated. I hated telling her as i felt awful. Three weeks ago i lost my Tiffany locket that was attached to my Tiffany bracelet.
Then my watch vanished - from my fruit bowl none the less.
Now i spent two weeks looking everywhere. On the floor, in cupboards, under the fridge and even in the oven. Nothing. I thought it was gone. My Granddad bought me it - it was irreplaceable. I was devastated!!
So now comes the highs...
This wont be as long winded - each sentence speaks enough volumes without explanation!
Justice was done and my friend was found NOT GUILTY
His true friends were just as over the moon as he was (The others can feel horrid about themselves!!)
The News of the World ended - there's hope that The Press will also!
I found my watch!
So what do the next few weeks have in store for me - Here's hoping its less drama and lots of smiles!!
xoxo
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