Pictures of migrant children on fb

[FuryFowler]

Has anyone seen these pictures, of poor poor children washed up on the beaches of Libya and Greece, drowned from their failed crossing.

I know the pics are there to shock but it's devastating to see

I signed a petition the other day, which had a pic of a drowned child on the front page. I signed and shared but then felt uncomfortable about sharing such a graphic picture.

It's makes me cry what is happening there, but was I U for sharing?

[Bakeoffcake]

I'm ashamed to be British too. Our government's response to this crisis is dispicable. History will judge us to be sitting, watching and doing nothing to help these people.

[Maisieknew]

How would old clothes have stopped the baby drowning?

They wouldn't.

They never reached the shores of a safe country. They drowned before they got there. They were the 'lucky' () ones - the ones who had a chance to escape. how desperate were things back home to risk your toddler drowning?

But I can't do anything about it and I resent the constant implication that I am somehow responsible when I am not.

[hibbleddible]

It needs to be shared.

Talking about numbers of people dying can seem abstract. A photo like this says far more than any article could, and serves to raise awareness, and hopefully funds as well.

I saw the photos and donated to the rescue organisation.

[MaidOfStars]

I shared the story (including the image), and followed it up with explicit pictures of children bleeding, crying, parents shielding them, running with them (all from reputable news sources).

I am fucking sick of the handwringing. I want people to be angry. I don't believe my individual crusade will help much but it might make my Daily Fail-reading friends think twice before spouting nonsense

[Maisieknew]

^

Like that.

History can judge me then.

[hibbleddible]

Maisie you're not responsible, but you can donate or write to your MP.

[Bakeoffcake]

"We" may not be able to do very much Maisie but our govt can and should. Maybe the pictures and the outpouring of anger they have produced, will make Cameron actually do something!!

[balletgirlmum]

I havnt shared it as dd would then see it but I think it counteracts a horrible share & comment I had on my wall yesterday about charging all immigrants for emergency medical care by taking chip & pin machines to their bedside.

Awful.

[ghostyslovesheep]

do nothing - your choice - but you have a choice

write to your MP
donate money/time/clothes - no it wont undead a child but it might save another from hypothermia
stop being so negative - you can help
You can start by challenging the idea that it's not our problem and there is nothing you can do
protest
write letters
be angry - be very very angry
be anything but don't be helpless and don't pretend this isn't anything to do with the country you live in
your elected government represents you - tell them how you feel

[MrsGentlyBenevolent]

The picture was awful, heartbreaking and does make you question anyone's humanity. However, I must say, our government is in a difficult position in regards to just 'opening the borders'. Most of use would happily do what it took to help refugees in our communities, but the housing isn't there for starters, the benefits to help them, the jobs to sustain them. Our government also has a duty to protect us - now I really am not one to scream "terrorists everywhere", but it would only take one person pretending (how do you 'check' a person with no identification?), whilst all along being a IS agent to cause devestation in our own countries. It's improbable, but not impossible. I'm not Tory, but only trying to understand the position David Cameron is in, when having to chose to say no and then seeing the consequences of that choice lying dead on some beach. This is a no win situation, we need to help, but I cannot see how letting everyone into the country that demands it is the answer.

[ghostyslovesheep]

I spent many a weekend at Greenham - yes we didn't change anything on the face of it - be raised the issues, we caused headaches, we watched, we reported, we kept them under scrutiny, we made our voices heard - it made a difference

[marmitemofo]

This post explains better than I ever could why its problematic to share dead pictures of people (without their consent, clearly!) on the internet.

blearyboy.com/5-reasons-you-shouldnt-share-photos-of-dead-kids-on-facebook/

ghosty you say 'Doing nothing changes nothing' - yes. But the choice is not 'share photos of dead kids vs. Do nothing' is it? You can still do something, raise awareness, contact your MP, donate, whatever, without posting pictures of dead children on the internet

[ghostyslovesheep]

I cannot see how letting everyone into the country that demands it is the answer and that is NOT whats happening

these specific people are refugees fleeing ISIS - they deserve shelter and support - no one is saying 'accept anyone who wants to come here'

[ghostyslovesheep]

well ONE photo of a dead child has caused more action and discussion and activism than weeks of debate on Syria and refugees so I totally disagree

[MrsGentlyBenevolent]

these specific people are refugees fleeing ISIS - they deserve shelter and support - no one is saying 'accept anyone who wants to come here'

Yes, I know. There are also those escaping Sudan and other African/Middle Eastern oppression, the horror is everywhere. It's never ending, always one country where it's people are living in hell..... And like I said, it only takes one of those people to be lying about their plight. Something needs to be done, I know most of these people are trying to escape death or worse, I'm (probably wrongly) just voicing why our government may seem like they're doing 'nothing'. I wouldn't quite know what to do either, in their position. It's certainly not a simple answer, even with those horrific pictures.

[marmitemofo]

You're free to disagree ghosty. But putting aside all the arguments in the link I included above (which I recommend anyone read) - what meaningful long term change will that one picture create? Or will the knee jerk reaction be forgotten about by the next social media outrage? I stand by my original point - I think it's wrong to use pictures of dead children without their or their families consent simply to shock and it is dehumanising. Happy to agree to disagree, but wanted to put an alternative point of view out there.

[ghostyslovesheep]

oh so because ONE person may lie you don't bar everyone - I'd rather let one liar in if it means 20 genuine refugees are safe - sorry

[MorrisZapp]

It's hard to see how the UK welcoming refugees will prevent further deaths of people trying to enter Europe.

I don't see what any of us could have done to prevent those tragic losses.

[HoursTurnIntoDays]

I feel so sad. I have two boys the same age as those two brothers It's too sad - the poor little boys - and their poor parents. The world can be such a cruel and unfair place

[MrsJorahMormont]

I don't usually approve of these kinds of photos but I have to say the photo of that little boy sickened me and made me weep and made me furious. If it galvanises people into action then it will have done some good. At the least it is providing a much needed antidote to the right wing media's attempts to dehumanise refugees.

[ghostyslovesheep]

it means more people act - that alone is important

it's easy to turn away from a dead adult - less so a dead child

would you ban pictures such as the girl running down the street burnt by napalm in Vietnam? or pics from the liberation of Dachau - with piles of dead bodies?

people need to be shocked out of their comfortable complacency - if it saves 100 more children it's worth it

[marmitemofo]

On a related note this article from the independent also has some useful suggestions for how to help the refugees:

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/5-practical-ways-you-can-help-refugees-trying-to-find-safety-in-europe-10482902.html

[MrsGentlyBenevolent]

oh so because ONE person may lie you don't bar everyone - I'd rather let one liar in if it means 20 genuine refugees are safe - sorry

I don't deny you your compassion, my concern is that it only takes one person has been highly trained, and Britain could have it's own Charlie incident, or worse. I really am not trying to be paranoid or assume the worst in people. I can see how our Government may look like heartless arseholes, but if they do bring in refugees, and just one turns out to be as I said, it would hurt any migrant support here in the UK for an unaccountable amount of time, and that certainly would be worse in the long run.

[marmitemofo]

ghosty we aren't going to agree on this. I think it's wrong for reasons outlined both in my post and the blog post I linked. It's fine if we disagree. I'm not going to agree with you, that's OK. I'm not judging you for having a different opinion to me and I couldn't give a crap what you think of me if you think badly of me for not agreeing with you. As I said, I wanted to raise an alternative viewpoint which I believe and which I hadn't seen expressed on this post. I'm now going to bow out as I've said all I wanted to say.

[ghostyslovesheep]

I posted that up thread :)

lets face it - Band Aid would have raised fuck all without the harrowing news report that set the ball rolling

people need to see the truth - not the Disney version