Is It A Bird, Is It A Plane…No….
Learning about WWII at school, I was horrified at how normal people turned on each-other in Nazi Germany. I was mystified at how easy it was for human beings to betray one another in the most brutal fashion; Friends turned on friends, children turned on parents, and informers sold their soul to the devil and betrayed us all. However, I could excuse the behaviour to a certain extent by looking at the totalitarian regime they were living under.
Following the Madeleine Mccann case on the Internet recently I have started to get that familiar sick feeling I felt during my school studies. Thanks to the net, the malice and soul-less-ness of certain people is vomited all over any forum that dares to mention Madeleine without calling for the death – real or psychological – of her parents.
One Blogger/journalist has called for the people of Portugal, in future, to ‘inform’ on any tourists they see leaving their children alone. He has asked that people call the police or social services and report these visitors. I’d love to see the posters asking tourists to visit Portugal where your child can be taken from you if you inadvertently upset a local hell bent on revenge, or move more than a yard away from them at the pool or beach. Disturbingly, this blogger got a comment thanking him for his post, from a man that signed off saying ‘Help us in Britain’
Well fear not Mr Help us in Britain, help is on the way in the form of Mr Tony Bennett. Not to be confused with the singer, Mr Bennett is a retired solicitor from Harlow who has woken up this week and decided to wear his undies on the outside of his trousers. He has morphed into SuperSolicitor, on a crusade to punish the parents of a missing child, lest any of us follow their lead.
It seems SuperSolicitor is worried that the Macanns have made having a child abducted look so appealing that we may all be tempted to do the same. SS as I like to call him (not to be confused with the Gestapo) has decided to help all of us thus tempted by attempting to launch a private prosecution against the Mccanns for alleged child neglect. Because having their child kidnapped is clearly not punishment enough.
He is not alone in this myopic thought: Back to the blogger/journalist who has also today lambasted John Walsh of America’s Most Wanted for highlighting the case of missing Madeleine in an upcoming episode as it ‘insults’ Portugal: Mr Walsh’s son Adam, aged six, was abducted and murdered in 1981. The child’s severed head was found 16 days later, but his torso never was. John Walsh turned his son’s tragic and pointless death into something meaningful and powerful. Through AMW he has helped to apprehend some of the most evil of criminals and prevented them from destroying other people’s lives. He is relentless in his pursuit to persuade legislators to pass real laws to protect children against pedophiles. How on earth then can one justify this response to the blogger/journalist’s Walsh article?:
Mr Walsh is a good example of someone who has taken advantage of and capitalised on his own son’s kidnapping and murder years ago, Since then he has become quite a celebrity.
This is the same accusation levelled at the Mccanns; that they have somehow always wanted to be ‘Posh and Becks’ and that fortune smiled on them when their daughter was kidnapped, allowing them to ‘jet around Europe and the world, meeting celebrities and the Pope’. These accusations give us a real insight into the psychological black hole that must be at the core of those that could even think such a thing. It also speaks volumes about our celebrity obsessed culture….
…..Speaking of which, SuperSolicitor has got his 15 minutes of fame, quickly attracting quite a following of the Black-holed ones. They are now planning to support this odious little man by bombarding the CPS, MPs, police and social services with letters of support and bile. The many pedophiles across the country must be thanking whatever vile demon they worship that the same time, effort and emotion has never once been expended against them. They must be ecstatic.
November 16, 2007 at 6:30 pm
SuperSolicitor is a vile, slimy cockroach that needs to be squashed.
He and his minions need to go crawl back under the rock from where they came.
John Walsh is a hero to many and he has saved many people and/or brought justice to their names. How dare “Mr. I Love Portugal” say anything disparaging about John Walsh. John Walsh has more integrity in his pinky than “Mr. I Love Portugal” does.
November 17, 2007 at 11:58 am
I take it you’re not president of the Tony Bennett fan club then Stace?:)
November 17, 2007 at 8:07 pm
LOL! The guy can go to Hell for all I care. :*
November 17, 2007 at 10:29 pm
I can accept like any reasonable person that people hold different views on a case like this from my own but I cannot fathom what possesses people to go out of their way to add to the suffering and terror of people suffering such a dreadful agony as the McCanns are. Surely there are better things to do with one’s time and energy, worse villains to campaign against. It really begs a lot of questions.
This is a depressing but in a way (horrible way) interesting psychiatrically speaking. I read this story this evening about a young girl with leukaemia who has been writing a blog which has suddenly become the target of weird and terribly frightening death threats:
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1293253,00.html
There is something wrong with such people clearly – this sort of thing must have some sort of “syndrome” name. The one thing that keeps reassuring me in some way is recalling interviews with soap stars who have talked about the horrific hate mail they receive (I’m going back pre-internet), so these sort of people have always been out there. Obviously it was good policy for entertainers getting that sort of stuff to give it as little publicity as possible but I know that it has always been a problem. There was an old woman jailed not so many years ago for sending a vast amount of evil crap to people over many years, regular little cottage industry she had going on.
But plainly the internet, the freedom of which I so value, has delivered a new and exciting medium for hate-nuts with vastly increased scope for causing pain and aggravation and fear. These people who are pretty deranged are not that rare and on forums and comment boxes they are having a field day mixed in with regular opinion givers.
So there are a couple of issues:
Are there more of them these days – and if so is the increase due to opportunity (internet) or something else?
Is this what school bullies do when they grow up?
What motivates them? (Is it in fact attention-craving? I think that’s a pretty serious issue)
What motivations can there be other than attention jealousy?:
Plain jealousy. Of Money? Looks? – not in the case of a 9 year old leukaemia sufferer obviously – Intelligence? Or Love?
Emotional voyeurism – wanting to see a reaction – if so why?
Is it a reaction to a particular form of abuse or unhappiness they have experienced?
It is ultimately cowardly. Is this need to attack and hurt a reaction to deep-seated, unacknowledged fear?
How might they be identified? Do they rant and rave about their hate objects in public or are they secretive about their obsession whilst fostering a righteous and respectable image at work and at home?
How often do they turn to some more physical form of attack? Or are their ‘real world’ hate-fuelled actions more of the order of subtle and pernicious destructive attacks against others that go undetected or are maybe blamed on others?
How do they choose a victim? Is it just a case of anyone who is in the public eye in such a way that they become the objects of affection and sympathy?
I couldn’t help but notice that one of the threats made against the little girl (age 9) whose blog “has won her a legion of admirers, including members of the band McFly, and her website has been flooded with messages of support.”
was that “Me and my husband are going to kidnap you”.
I wonder what put that idea in this person’s mind.
This Tony Bennett is just a little man who sees an opportunity of making a big noise – he fancies himself a politician apparently and this is his way of getting some column inches. He has obviously learnt that many people are motivated by the desire to see people suffer and eager for any opportunity where they can square that desire with their self-righteousness. In fact I don’t believe they are such a large group of society however vociferous. But I do tend to get scared about how much everyday damage and pain such eaten-up individuals cause. And to wonder if that everyday pain-causing ever crosses the line into less suppressed expression of their spite. I also tend to pity the children of such nasty individuals and wonder how much this kind of culture of blame and condemnation has to do with the devastating acceleration of what goes under the childish name of ‘bullying’.
November 18, 2007 at 8:58 am
Unfortunately these people share our planet. Until Madeleine went missing, I had never been near a forum & only now am I a member of a couple of forums that are related to her. I loathe to call this creature SuperSolicitor….he is clearly just being contriversial to jump on the media bandwagon for cheap publicity. I’m certain he is not doing it for genuine concern for Madeleine. I too accept that people hold different opinions to mine but imagine that if & when she is returned, how she will feel towards these vile people who turned on her nearest and dearest. Gerry & Kate McCann have paid the ultimate price for their complacency. No, I wouldn’t have left my children….but surprisingly some people with whom I’ve discussed this case admit that they’ve done the same on holiday. I was shocked at this…..but something they all added was that they wouldn’t ever do it again! These people are just thanking their lucky stars that they were not targeted….I don’t think that Gerry & Kate are anything but loving parents to Madeleine and her siblings, they have been broken by this. We will never know the complete true story even if she is returned, I feel but the low life that keep spinning negative stories in the absence of any real news are just plain EVIL.
November 18, 2007 at 9:15 am
I hope you don’t mind me sticking this on to go with my lengthy rant above Kate. I read it this morning in the News of the World – an article highlighting the extent of harm done by bullying (and the failure to tackle it). To me it completes the trio of stories of self-righteousness and compassionless, insightless judgementalism (Anthony Bennett et al), Cowardice, hatred, and suppressed violence (death threats against a 9-year old leukaemia victim) with what I believe is the trickle-down effect, the self-repeating cycle of utter misery to the extent of suicide caused by bullying and spite in all its forms.
http://tinyurl.com/3db4zk
Also to add that when it comes right down to it, as revolting and frightening as the spectacle of someone threatening a sick child is, in a way this Bennett person is the real problem. He in his suit with his allegedly reputable profession and all like him at home in their respectable homes with their respectable families failing to use more of their brains and moral compass than it takes to seek and judge in black and white terms are the people responsible, IMO, for legitimising the kind of destructive, narrow culture that fosters bullying.
Sure it takes a particularly warped and probably also suffering individual to inflict actual harm or indulge in such viciousness as those blog posts but these people do not exist in isolation. They merely lurk in the crowd of finger-pointers. They are reinforced in their prejudice and aggression by the psychologically shallow and simplistic bandwagon that perpetrates the view that all that they choose to interpret as human wrongs (and a big favourite appears to be any form of confidence or self-expression which falls under the category of vanity apparently) can and must be solved by punishment. That to seek to understand, forgive or show compassion, let alone admire or support courage is somehow a dangerous liberalism which might lead to … what? A bit of human sharing, some self-awareness, the mental challenge of navigating a world where there are more than two sides to every issue?
I know what I think their behaviour leads to and it is evidenced in the stories of all those miserable children committing suicide or self harming because of the actions of other miserable children. I don’t suppose it is the whole story but there’s a startling correspondence in the attitudes of the average school bully or bitch clique member and the adult version of self-righteous judgementalism, emotional voyeurism and common and garden indulgence in cowardly cruelty.
And it makes me incredibly bloody angry!
November 18, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Thank goodness to read some real common sense at last! As a member of the Kidshield Europe team I have been absolutely amazed by the venom unleashed towards the McCanns. The stranger members of our society seem to only be fed by a hunger to see the McCanns further humiliated and hung out to dry. It seems the central fact that their daughter is missing has been forgotten in their blood thirsty cries for “revenge”.
Kidshield Europe published information and made it available to all of these “forums” on the subject of child safety. Not surprisingly very few of the concerned parents voicing their opinions on how terrible the McCanns are ever bothered to visit! Only 1 in 10 parents within Europe bother to install web filtering software – I wonder how many of their children are speaking to adults disguised as children, whilst they spout off about the McCanns parenting skills!
November 19, 2007 at 1:11 pm
In my lifetime I have heard of enough tragic cases to not be shocked anymore when I hear of an evil murderer , rapist or paedophile. I am saddened and angry but not shocked. What has shocked me in this case has been the vitriol with which the Mc cann family have been treated by Joe public, the morbid jealousy of some and the apparant need to see them (and indeed make them) suffer. The way the media have pandered to this whim has disgusted me. Sadder still is the fact that those people seem to be in the majority which actually makes me fear for what lies ahead in the future for humanity.
November 24, 2007 at 8:30 am
Hi Kate
Glad to see such a great blog. I have to say that I think that Portuguese journalist has truly lost his mind and probably think that the Portuguese bigwigs who cruelly abused all those kids in Casa Pia are innocent. He speaks garbage,, and he really has no insight as he quotes from newspaper reports whether they are true or not. It makes him no better than the rest of the garbage media that is out there. I have been to his website once in the past month, and I fail to comprehend how nasty he has become just because some of the British papers turned on the PJ. He needs to grow up and stop being so defensive and start focusing on the facts. Unfortunately, most of the press prints garbage so we really have to learn to weed out the facts from the droll.
As for Mr Bennett, it just illuminates the fact that there are evil people out there who may not be committing crimes, but still find some sort of sick satisfaction in making as many people as possible unhappy.
I will be visiting much more
Keep up such a great site
December 21, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Tony Bennett is he really a solicitor? Has this rather ecsentric man not got better things to do with his time. He actually used to work for Robert Kilroy-Silk MEP. It seems to me that Mr Bennett just like to get a bit of publicity for himself.
January 27, 2008 at 11:57 am
I think the problem is actually the ‘Bennett’ man. It looks like he does get real sick satisfaction. No doub’t he will find some other high profile case the jump on the bandwagon, with a offer of legal help to someone. Vunerable people & their families, should be very wary of this so called solicitor/lawyer, or what he calls himself these days as a right adviser, a Wolf in Sheep’s clothing comes to mind. As to is Tony Bennett really a solicitor, it would seem at some point he was with the UKIP party. This man does indeed have a hidden agenda, only time will tell what it is.
February 24, 2008 at 4:10 pm
It would seem Tony Bennett did not have a Soicitors practising certificate, whilst working as a Solicitor, maybe someone should start a private prosecution against Mr Bennett.
March 5, 2008 at 3:49 pm
This awful Tony Bennett man was a UKIP party man then went with Veritas Party, working for Robert Kilroy Silk. Likes to think he a sort of ‘Colombo’ detective in solving high profile cases. He is the KISS OF DEATH. The McCann family had suffered enough they did not need this ‘Drip’ on there case.
March 28, 2008 at 9:33 am
I love your blog, thank you for writing exactly how I feel about the people who are still vehemently attacking the McCanns. The hatred and the thoughts of these people truly scare me. I have often thought about the same things you are writing about and I find it awesome how you can put it all forward and get to the bottom of the synchronicity. God bless you.
March 28, 2008 at 9:43 am
I also want to say that Gina´s comments are superb, especially the ones above.
March 28, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Thank you so much for your feedback Miss Library Angel;) What a wonderful name;)
March 31, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Mr Bennett has not been a ‘Qualified Solicitor’ since 1999. This man’s motivation need’s to be questioned.
July 10, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Tony Bennett has formed the ‘Madeleine Foundation’ GREAT! stuff! more ££££! for Mr Bennett more column inches! Ha Ha Ha Suckers! the ££ going into Mr Bennett’s pockets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Its not a CHARITY nor a COMPANY a sort of retirement PENSION for this GREAT MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DO GOODERS BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 14, 2008 at 7:46 pm
How about forming the stop Tony Bennett Club or Foundation or Trust Free life long membeship. Aim the protection of families that have lost loved ones.
September 29, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Excellent site exposing with let’s say a former solicitor with a rather questionable past.
January 23, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Bennett the Menace when will the powers to be, put a stop to this man’s hate campaign against the McCann family? Law Society over to you.