I don't think you should censure people for visiting patients in hospitalI know a few folks who live near Broadmoor who regularly run events/social clubs in the hospital. You can argue whether psychos should be considered ill or just shot out of hand, but the fact remains that it *is* a hospital and Jimmy was a great supporter of hospitals.
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simbosan liked your link on,
Wed 9 Nov 2011, 4:50,
archived)
and i think that IS a good thingi'm pretty far from a string-'em-up attitude towards even those who've committed the worst crimes. i think social facilities etc. in such secure institutions can probably only help.
but i don't think people are criticising them for visiting patients. i think the reactions are mostly:
(i) wtf? that's jimmy savile, the yorkshire ripper and frank bruno all together in the same photograph. how did that even...
(ii) the article said that jimmy had "become friends" with sutcliffe through his work. now there's a high chance that's the sun just making shit up, or at least exaggerating for the sake of a story. it's pretty strange if true, though. i can see being sympathetic to him, or having a cordial relationship in your role as a volunteer. but it'd take a lot to actually become a friend (unless he thought sutcliffe had shown genuine signs of reform by that stage).
(iii) going back to (i) really. not sure who thought "oh, that's a good idea. let's get frank posing with the ripper. jimmy - you stand there with your cigar" *snap*. even if it was informally set up rather than someone's genius idea for a pr story, you've got to wonder what went through the heads of the people doing it.
soz for length
(but i don't think people are criticising them for visiting patients. i think the reactions are mostly:
(i) wtf? that's jimmy savile, the yorkshire ripper and frank bruno all together in the same photograph. how did that even...
(ii) the article said that jimmy had "become friends" with sutcliffe through his work. now there's a high chance that's the sun just making shit up, or at least exaggerating for the sake of a story. it's pretty strange if true, though. i can see being sympathetic to him, or having a cordial relationship in your role as a volunteer. but it'd take a lot to actually become a friend (unless he thought sutcliffe had shown genuine signs of reform by that stage).
(iii) going back to (i) really. not sure who thought "oh, that's a good idea. let's get frank posing with the ripper. jimmy - you stand there with your cigar" *snap*. even if it was informally set up rather than someone's genius idea for a pr story, you've got to wonder what went through the heads of the people doing it.
soz for length
plentyofants more ghee, vicar?,
Wed 9 Nov 2011, 9:09,
archived)
Sir Jim was on the governing board at Broadmoor... which is, remember, a hospital. As such, he wouldn't have discriminated between one patient or another; or let his own feelings get in the way of his work.
Of course that kind of professionalism is incomprehensible to anyone at the Murdoch papers, hence the "story".
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Wed 9 Nov 2011, 21:33,
archived)
Of course that kind of professionalism is incomprehensible to anyone at the Murdoch papers, hence the "story".