Them or Us?

The news reporting of the massacre in Norway has shown up some startling, and fundamental differences between 'them' (the Norwegians) and 'us' (the rest of the world, especially the UK). I am having some problems understanding these, and wonder if you have too?

I have found myself in much awe and respect of the ordinary folks of another small country who have suffered an atrocity of mass murder at the hands of a possibly insane, probably evil, human being who was 'one of their own'. These folks have been described by such words as, “trusting”, “naive”, “patient”, “not angry”, “understanding”, “friendly and helpful”, “honest”, “strangely balanced”, “not shouting or yelling at the accused”, and many more positive adjectives.

So, what do we, the UK media do? We shove microphones and cameras under the noses of these good people and ask stupid questions of the surviving victims, like “How do you feel” and “Why don't you get angry”? All in the hope that they might weep or get angry. We seem to think that makes good TV viewing. Then there are the pushy journalists who keep asking why it took the police so long to get to the island after the massive explosion in Oslo city centre. As if we were perfect. We have just finished the investigation into the 7/7 London bombings, and guess what? We failed abysmally at the same things we are accusing the Norwegians of. Double standards I think.

I still respect the Norwegian citizens from the top down, and would only wish we could be more like them. Our probing, fault finding, negative, morally lacking, corrupt journalism is in shreds right now over the News International scandal, and we carry on as if we were still the only ones holding the principle of freedom of the press. We have no right to question another nation's grief, or how they deal with that grief, let alone try to look as if we are the balanced media of the free world.

Sorry, but that was bugging me.