I think it’s time we got some perspective on the Raoul Moat story.
This morning I listened to a chilling telephone phone-in, on BBC Radio 5-Live, regarding the fact that several thousand people have joined a Facebook ‘campaign’, entitled RIP Raoul Moat You Legend.
The first point to be made is that that is not entirely inaccurate. The dictionary definition of ‘legend’ describes a story passed down (through generations). I think it is entirely possible that that may well be Moat’s legacy so, the title of the Facebook page may be reasonable. What would not be reasonable would be any suggestion that Moat was to be applauded for his actions.
The reason that the phone-in was so chilling was two-fold. Firstly, some callers gave the impression that Moat was some-kind of comic-book hero, for single-handedly escaping capture and bringing embarrassment to the Police. Let’s be clear here, if Moat gunned down his ex-partner’s boyfriend and then shot a police officer, he is nothing but a cold-blooded killer. Only the most misguided will call him a hero.
Second reason for the phone-in being chilling was because of the vicious verbal attacks on our police-force; it is, however, essential that government take seriously the fact that many people feel disenfranchised from those serving to protect us all. The reasons for this must be analysed and addressed, otherwise we are on a slippery-slope.
These verbal attacks were predominantly because of what was seen as the deployment of excessive force. Now, I accept that we will all be characterised by our life experiences but, coming only weeks after the Derrick Bird rampage in Cumbria, I think it entirely proportionate for the Police to garner as many resources as they did, in order to limit the risk of another blood-bath.
One caller suggested that he knew that Moat would not have been so indiscriminate. Easy to say, not so easy to believe when you have responsibility for the public’s safety; and, I’m pretty sure that associates of Bird would have said exactly the same thing about him, before events unfolded there.
This brings me to my main point – responsibility. One caller, this morning, suggested that the Government was at fault because they take your jobs, encourage you to drink and gamble and then, when you go off the rails, they want to kill you. I’m afraid that this went completely over my head. I may be more fortunate than most but, I fail to see how anyone, thinking rationally, can come up with such a bizarre outlook on life!
An earlier caller suggested that he thought that Moat’s actions in shooting the policeman may have been proportionate but, when asked if he would have felt differently if the deceased had been the caller’s brother, his response was ‘yes’. Completely irrational thinking, and these people are allowed to vote!
Another caller this morning suggested that the authorities had made mistakes by not reacting quickly enough to reports about the threats that Moat had made; to which another caller asked whether it was the Prison Officer’s fault then? The first caller replied by saying “why not? It has to be someone’s fault.” Dead right – it was Raoul Moat’s fault! End of debate.
There may have been contributory factors but, this whole sorry episode was the fault of one person - Raoul Moat; no-one else.
When, oh when, are the public going to grasp that they are responsible for their own actions? If you do not want a nanny-state, take some goddamn responsibility.