Such Intolerant Stupid People
Feb. 11th, 2005 06:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fiat_knoxOkay, another not so funny post today.
Today, I picked up a copy of a local newspaper, which described (under the headline Gang Set My Hair On Fire) an attack on a Goth girl in the local bus station. The attack took place early last Saturday evening, and went on for 45 minutes.
I'm not going to name this girl, because she's 15 and she knows the girls who harassed her - they go to the same school. But what I will tell you is that I'm outraged.
Attacks on Goths are increasing in this town, which has a sizeable population of them, the vast majority of them young, most of them students or schoolkids, with a few elders hanging about who should know better.
The girl who was attacked believes that she was attacked for her distinctive black eye makeup, platform boots and dark Goth clothing. Her assailants, ten of them, initially kept badgering her for what appeared to be bus fare - but their true intentions soon enough became clear when one of them punched her face, used a cigarette to burn the girl and then set her hair alight with a lighter.
"I didn't fight back," the girl is quoted as saying, "because they were in a gang; there were about ten of them."
Whilst waiting for her bus, these scum sat across from her. One kid had a carrier bag and put it over the girl's head, over and over, until she "got bored". The rest then frenzied like animals and subjected the victim to a sustained attack.
This teenager has vowed that she won't change her appearance despite the horrific nature of this attack, specifically targeted at her because she is a Goth, and therefore easily recognisable.
In her words: "Be who you want to be; you shouldn't do what other people want you to do."
Wise words, and coming from a girl of fifteen, that's saying something.
Her father is quoted as saying "If a young girl can't walk to the bus station to catch a bus to a friend's house three miles away without being set upon, what is life coming to? I thought the bus station is supposed to be secure."
The newspaper tried to be sympathetic, putting a small sidebar beneath the article, titled *ahem* What Is The Goth Cult? with the following:
"Basically undefinable, because 'Goth' means different things to each follower. Many Goths adapt unusual fashions in order to separate themselves from other youth.
"Some factors that are commonly observed are:
Why Post This Item Here?
Because this was not featured on the local newspaper's website. It didn't make it onto the BBC's website. The news did not report it.
I'm posting this rant here because I believe that intolerance should never go unreported anywhere, whether it's Jews or Muslims being set upon by skinheads, gay bashing, Christians picking on Pagans, fat people and old people being abused in the street by stupid kids or, in this case, Goths being singled out for their distinctive lifestyles (motivated, doubtless, by pure jealousy on the part of the vapid, cookie cutter, Hello Moto, Burberry, personality-free, Vicky Pollard chavvies towards people who have a life).
Here endeth today's rant.
Today, I picked up a copy of a local newspaper, which described (under the headline Gang Set My Hair On Fire) an attack on a Goth girl in the local bus station. The attack took place early last Saturday evening, and went on for 45 minutes.
I'm not going to name this girl, because she's 15 and she knows the girls who harassed her - they go to the same school. But what I will tell you is that I'm outraged.
Attacks on Goths are increasing in this town, which has a sizeable population of them, the vast majority of them young, most of them students or schoolkids, with a few elders hanging about who should know better.
The girl who was attacked believes that she was attacked for her distinctive black eye makeup, platform boots and dark Goth clothing. Her assailants, ten of them, initially kept badgering her for what appeared to be bus fare - but their true intentions soon enough became clear when one of them punched her face, used a cigarette to burn the girl and then set her hair alight with a lighter.
"I didn't fight back," the girl is quoted as saying, "because they were in a gang; there were about ten of them."
Whilst waiting for her bus, these scum sat across from her. One kid had a carrier bag and put it over the girl's head, over and over, until she "got bored". The rest then frenzied like animals and subjected the victim to a sustained attack.
This teenager has vowed that she won't change her appearance despite the horrific nature of this attack, specifically targeted at her because she is a Goth, and therefore easily recognisable.
In her words: "Be who you want to be; you shouldn't do what other people want you to do."
Wise words, and coming from a girl of fifteen, that's saying something.
Her father is quoted as saying "If a young girl can't walk to the bus station to catch a bus to a friend's house three miles away without being set upon, what is life coming to? I thought the bus station is supposed to be secure."
The newspaper tried to be sympathetic, putting a small sidebar beneath the article, titled *ahem* What Is The Goth Cult? with the following:
"Basically undefinable, because 'Goth' means different things to each follower. Many Goths adapt unusual fashions in order to separate themselves from other youth.
"Some factors that are commonly observed are:
- Its unique music, art and literature.
- The use of extreme black clothing, light coloured makeup, unusual hair styles, body piercing, bondage items etc.
- A fascination with mediaeval, Victorian and Edwardian history.
- Wearing of symbols such as a Christian cross, an Egyptian ankh or 'Eye of Ra' or 'Eye of Horus.'
- Goths tend to be non-violent, pacifist, passive and tolerant. Many in the media have have mistakenly associated Goths with extreme violence and hatred of minorities."
Why Post This Item Here?
Because this was not featured on the local newspaper's website. It didn't make it onto the BBC's website. The news did not report it.
I'm posting this rant here because I believe that intolerance should never go unreported anywhere, whether it's Jews or Muslims being set upon by skinheads, gay bashing, Christians picking on Pagans, fat people and old people being abused in the street by stupid kids or, in this case, Goths being singled out for their distinctive lifestyles (motivated, doubtless, by pure jealousy on the part of the vapid, cookie cutter, Hello Moto, Burberry, personality-free, Vicky Pollard chavvies towards people who have a life).
Here endeth today's rant.
