Mrs Janes and Mr Brown
We've had Mrs Jones and Mrs Robinson now we have Mrs Janes. I fear that Mr Brown knows there is nothing he can say to Mrs Janes that will ease her pain. His dilemna is what not to say. Those of us who have spent our lives around grieving families know how fagile bereaved parents can feel. The wrong word the wrong look the wrong name all compounds the wounds of loss and anxiety.
The world is full of smart people. I have noticed how smart people are especially in hindsight. The recent whoha! with Gordon Brown and Mrs Janes will continued to be milked by all sorts of political annimals. I think Mrs Janes must be very used to people making that mistake. I also think she has been badly advised in the way she has handled the situation.
I don't know about you but I think the media need to give our PM Gordon Brown a break. It doesn't matter what the man says or does it seems to me there is some smart journalist waiting to mark him out of ten. Look I'm not niave. He's a politician, but he's also a human being. Sending the letter to the bereaved boy's parents was a gesture of concern and empathy. It is perfectly understandable that Mrs Janes is angry and disappointed at the circumstances surrounding her son's death, but the Sun newspaper is simply using this woman's grief to score their own political points against a political party they once supported.
This is such an emotionally dangerous and heartbreaking situation. It really does call for those around Mrs Janes to help her grieve for her son without being in the glare of TV Cameras. I think the day may come when she will regret having been used this way.
Posted By: James Hogg On: 13 Nov 2009 At: 11:58am
As someone who will probably not be voting for Gordon Brown I do feel sorry for him. In fact I was impressed to find out that he hand writes to each family that has lost someone.