Tough On Crime - Weak On Compassion

Days after an acquittal of a man wrongly convicted of murder - a man whose life would have been taken by the state, or more starkly, US, we see that compassion abounds on Planet Daily Mail. Summary justice is in vogue.

Everything in Mail Land is black and white (mostly white) when it comes to crime and punishment, particularly if you happen to be of foreign descent.

The story itself - about two Chinese students brutally killed in Newcastle - uses the time-honoured and dishonest tactic of inserting inverted commas to avoid attacks from the Press Complaints Commission. The PCC must have the Mail's number on speed dial. In this case, the Mail is on safe ground in respect of libel laws due to the death of the students.

• A Chinese graduate may have been tortured and murdered because of his links to an international internet betting scam on Premiership football matches, it emerged yesterday.

Note that use of the word may. We don't need any actual evidence, just supposition. As one bastard pointed out on the story about wrongly-convicted Barry George, death, be it through judicial or private execution, solves a lot of problems. Mr. Jeffreys then compounded his bastardy by seeking to justify it here on Enemies of Reason. The Mail then hides behind unnamed sources and then take to the jounalistic Tora Bora with the snide,

• "It was also claimed that the couple sold fake university degrees and international driving licences and ran a group purchase scheme to buy products cheaply, but then failed to hand over goods or return money."

Now, Zhen Xing Yang and Xi Zhou may well have been involved in what is claimed. The police appear to be investigating this aspect as they search for a possible motive: no problem there. What is also important to note is that this is a murder inquiry (as they say in Taggart) and as such the victims are entitled to sensitivity and proportionality. But not in the Mail.

Whereas the comments policy in the Mail seems to have been relaxed in recent weeks in that opposing views are being allowed, it also means that the more extreme elements are on too. I've argued before that the Mail's policy was illogical even by its own standards, as surely for every one anti-comment, there would be twenty readers ready to toe the right-wing line. However, by allowing appalling comments such as those below, they are again failing.

So, the most serious charges to be levelled at the victims is that they could have been involved in defrauding bookmakers and employers not willing to check qualifications. Not condoned, but hardly befitting summary execution. Send in the frowns:

• Mess with crime and this is what could happen.
  - Jacqui Weems, Southampton, 14/8/2008 18:02

JW is so often spewing forth on topics relating to foreigners that she may have burning crosses outside her house. I comfort myself with the thought that if you google her name followed by a profanity of your choice, this site is Number 1. How do you sleep, Weems?

• If true then good. He lied, cheated and stole.
  - Dave, UK, 14/8/2008 21:56

Dave is not certain that it's true, but if it is, he's glad that 'the mutilated bodies of Mr Yang and his girlfriend, Xi Zhou, 25, were discovered in their ground floor flat in Newcastle last Saturday. Mr Yang was tortured before his death.'

• A very 'sound' nulabour business by the sound of it. Gordon must be very proud.
  - Jerry, Watford, UK, 14/8/2008 21:56

Jerry manages to have a dig at Gordon Brown. First class arsehole.

• Seems like they lived by the sword..........................
  - Mick, Ipswich, 15/8/2008 0:13

Mick doesn't even understand the metaphor, even allowing for a non-literal interpretation. Please hit this guy with a heavy bible (which ,of course would be more appropriate). Still, I'm sure he's the only one dim enough....oh wait!

• Live by the sword, die by the sword.
  - eric victor, uk, 15/8/2008 2:01

Look Eric, take this advice from one Eric to another: Please don't breed.

We look forward to hearing jokes on the subject from Ann Winterton.