It was with great sadness that I read of the death of PC David Rathband in yesterday's news. I cannot immagine for one single moment how devastating it must be to lose your eyesight, I would rather lose my arms, legs or be stone deaf than to lose my sight. Furthermore, I cannot even begin to contemplate the extreme feelings of fear this police officer must have endured whilst waiting for assistance to arrive after being shot twice at point blank range by the lunatic Raoul Moat. As he stated in recent days on Twitter, he not only lost his eyesight, he also lost his family and his marriage. This man was devastated.
However, to call PC Rathband a 'hero' I believe is patronising and embarrassing. He was tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time, by huge odds he was very unfortunate, to try to elevate him to a Saint is cringeworthy, and typical of David Cameron trying to show mock concern, and 'respect' to the Police describing PC Rathband as 'an extraordinarily brave man', and adding: 'After his horrific injuries he did an enormous amount for charities and for other injured police officers, and for families who had lost police officers in the line of duty., whilst at the same time slashing their budgets, cutting back on recruitment, rest days, slashing overtime and cancelling holidays due to the olympics.
Then you have the disgraced Energy Secretary Chris Huhne who recently resigned relating to the allegation of his ex wife taking the blame for a speeding ticket for which he has been charged with perverting the course of justice. Creepy Nick Clegg has even said that there is a job waiting for him if he manages to clear his name. Chris Huhne is now in the process of claiming compensation from the Government by way of a £17,000 pay-off.
The real tragedies in life in my opinion are the children who are suffering all around the world, in Africa from starvation, in Thailand and other areas around the world where they are being forced into prostitution by paedophiles, children caught up and torn to pieces in conflicts such as Libya, and children all over the world who are being abused, tortured and murdered, even in the UK today. Everyone can relate to baby Peter Connelly.
On a more personal note, when my daughter was 6 years old, her little friend whose birthday was a couple of weeks prior to my daughter's had sent out his party invitations for his 7th birthday party. He was so excited, all the children in the class were going to the cinema to watch 'Honey I Shrunk the Kids'. Imagine our horror to hear that this little boy was killed by a passing car who mounted the footpath and flung his fragile little body and his head hit the kerb. He was airlifted to hospital and died in his mother's arms two days later. His parents lives ended that day.
Finally, I am not unsympathetic with the police, I believe that the majority of them do a really fantastic job, my son included. In fact, my son saved another man's life when he stepped in front of a bus, my son happened to be in the right place at the right time to administer immediate medical attention prior to the paramedics arrival - does this make my son a hero - NO, it is his job and one he performs well. As a mother I dont know what conflict he will encounter on a day to day basis, but he chose the job, one which he loves, and one which he would feel insulted to be called a hero for doing.
Ruby
However, to call PC Rathband a 'hero' I believe is patronising and embarrassing. He was tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time, by huge odds he was very unfortunate, to try to elevate him to a Saint is cringeworthy, and typical of David Cameron trying to show mock concern, and 'respect' to the Police describing PC Rathband as 'an extraordinarily brave man', and adding: 'After his horrific injuries he did an enormous amount for charities and for other injured police officers, and for families who had lost police officers in the line of duty., whilst at the same time slashing their budgets, cutting back on recruitment, rest days, slashing overtime and cancelling holidays due to the olympics.
Then you have the disgraced Energy Secretary Chris Huhne who recently resigned relating to the allegation of his ex wife taking the blame for a speeding ticket for which he has been charged with perverting the course of justice. Creepy Nick Clegg has even said that there is a job waiting for him if he manages to clear his name. Chris Huhne is now in the process of claiming compensation from the Government by way of a £17,000 pay-off.
The real tragedies in life in my opinion are the children who are suffering all around the world, in Africa from starvation, in Thailand and other areas around the world where they are being forced into prostitution by paedophiles, children caught up and torn to pieces in conflicts such as Libya, and children all over the world who are being abused, tortured and murdered, even in the UK today. Everyone can relate to baby Peter Connelly.
On a more personal note, when my daughter was 6 years old, her little friend whose birthday was a couple of weeks prior to my daughter's had sent out his party invitations for his 7th birthday party. He was so excited, all the children in the class were going to the cinema to watch 'Honey I Shrunk the Kids'. Imagine our horror to hear that this little boy was killed by a passing car who mounted the footpath and flung his fragile little body and his head hit the kerb. He was airlifted to hospital and died in his mother's arms two days later. His parents lives ended that day.
Finally, I am not unsympathetic with the police, I believe that the majority of them do a really fantastic job, my son included. In fact, my son saved another man's life when he stepped in front of a bus, my son happened to be in the right place at the right time to administer immediate medical attention prior to the paramedics arrival - does this make my son a hero - NO, it is his job and one he performs well. As a mother I dont know what conflict he will encounter on a day to day basis, but he chose the job, one which he loves, and one which he would feel insulted to be called a hero for doing.
Ruby