to be saddened by the utter lack of humanity of this 'journalist'

[swampster]

I know I'm not being unreasonable BTW. And I can't stop crying.

Here: Writer Kia Abdullah mocks death of gap year students on Twitter.

Three sets of parents have lost their beautiful sons and she finds it funny because they have double-barrelled names?

I read that too. MI think it must be partly attributable to her age.

I guess you're like me, and you think of them as children, and know how much they were loved and (thinking from the position of having your own children) can imagine them on the threshold of adulthood, with their families' love and wishes for them surrounding them.

I guess she's a bit young to grasp that.

Hug for you. And obviously to the families of those boys/young men.

My god. What an utter bitch. 3 human beings died and you don't give a shit because they're middle class? It's funny, you smiled because they have posh names?

I hope the Guardian never commissions her again.

And her apology is pathetic. You don't write what she wrote if you give a shit, so she's clearly not sorry. She's just sorry she's been pulled up on it. She's sorry for what might happen to her as a result of her total bastardlyness.

Animula, I must disagree that youth can be any sort of excuse. That would be most insulting to young people to suggest that their age meant they might be the sort of person who laughs at people dying and doesn't give a shit.

But, you know, there's no point in going after her with pitchforks, to be honest. It just risks matching a lack of compassion, and decent into dehumanised thinking with an equivalent lack.

Nothing wrong with pointing out that it is a rather poor use of the right to free expression and a rather woeful falling-short of the basic tenets of considerate, humane behaviour and thinking.

What an evil woman!

Journalist? She's screwed her career!

Nasty piece of work!!

She's 29!

It was a stupid, horrible thing to say. But she has recognised that and apologised.

Problem is the internet stokes rows so no doubt people will continue to rant about it even though she's backed down.

There is every point in being totally disgusted with her and feeling that she should face consequences for her total lack of humanity.

It is not some sort of mild, whoopsie, moment. This is someone who laughs about people dying and brags about not caring. Because the dead boys are middle class. [boggle] That is horrible.

"descent" not "decent".

Re "Age" thing - I get your point, but I am trying to work out how someone could say something so incredibly unpleasant.

Limited life-experience? Success in a certain style of journalism that venerates "shock" tactics and speech? There is certainly enough of a cultural matrix out there that might have indicated to her that such a comment would be tolerated.

Which, I think, reflects very badly on the wider culture.

I read this too and I was horrified by her attitude. Even when it was pointed out she initially said she saw nothing wrong with her attitude. She later gave an apology, but having looked at her posts she is generally acid tongued and yes, lacking somewhat in humanity. Age is not an excuse, this is her stock in trade approach. She's a spoilt brat cock which is ironic as she's pointing the finger elsewhere.

She's not a ruddy journalist. She doesn't earn her living writing for newspapers or magazines. She has had two novels published and up to May 2010 she'd had a few columns published on Commentisfree.

Well that's 2 novels I have no intention of ever buying. And I hope that her career now takes a nose dive.

What an absolutely disgusting piece of writing.

Not something I often say but what a cunt.

My parents knew one of those lads - he was the son of their next door neighbour. The poor woman is in absolute pieces.

Does that bitch think that his mother will be crying any the less because she is in the opinion of some petty hack "middle class"?

Ignorance is bliss and she is clearly very happy.

There is no excuse for what she wrote. Human compassion shouldn't depend on class, name or anything else. My heart goes out to the families and friends of those young men.

Isn't she? I read that she writes for the guardian? Oh well, fair enough.

Re apologies though, there are some things you do that make apologies for them meaningless.

If you cheat on your partner and they find out and you say sorry - it's meaningless. You're sorry you got caught! That's what you're sorry about. Because if you gave a crap, you wouldn't have betrayed them in the first place.

If you make a vile comment - two actually - and sneer and only when people object, do you suddenly see the error of your ways and apologise - it's meaningless. Because you are apologising for getting caught. You're apologising to try to save your skin. You're trying to wriggle out of it.

I'm sorry if I hurt / caused offence / I can see I was insensitive / etc

All crap.

The only honest apology when you have done or said something vile and you've been caught out and challenged is "I'm sorry that I'm a total shit."

But I think that animula made a very good point. I think the reason I am so disgusted is I am thinking how I'd feel if it was my child that died and someone was tweeting that they didn't give a shit and how funny it was/their names were.

I am not much older than HER, i don't have DC & am not MC but i found the deaths upsetting & tragic - just a waste of life.
Anyway she is nearly 30 FGS.
I know teenagers from all backgrounds who have more humanity & maturity than that 'journalist' clearly does.

I knew what this would be about, have been waiting for a thread for a day or two

I've been through the 'saddened' stage, now I am delighted to share my view -

twitter is simply vanity publishing outlet for the self absorbed little princess

she's a no mark publicity seeking little drain on the world's oxygen supply

pretty face, ugly heart

shall we ask MN to do a webchat?

I do use the word a lot, she is an utterly thoughtless cunt.
I don't often say stuff like this, but my heart is aching for the parents of those tragic boys.

really sad about those young men dying
havent read the link,can guess its got sneery class and nasty jibes

Silly bitch.

Those poor families.

She should take a long hard look at herself.....what a lovely upbringing she must have had, I hope her parents are ashamed of her.....
One day she may grow up and feel some compassion for other people.....
I feel so sorry for all the families involved

I know someone at school who is also a "journalist", and whilst she hasn't written anything as thoughtless as this, she does tend to think more about writing something that will get noticed, rather than the impact on those affected of what she's written. I think the same has happened with Kia Abdullah, but with much much more thoughtlessness.

Take it up with the Guardian if you're bothered. Honestly, this silly woman's comments don't even register in my thoughts, she's vapid and ridiculous and best ignored.

The Guardian however, they have a duty... and I thought they had a reputation they wanted to preserve, obviously not.