Boris will pull through because he's a "fighter"

[HavelockVetinari]

AIBU to find this extremely offensive? Are the thousands of people who've died of Covid dead because they just didn't fight hard enough?

Not acceptable, Raab.

We know from the literature on public health communication that war metaphors are ill-equipped to make people abstain from their usual behaviours.

THIS

For goodness sake, people, stop being so easily offended! It's getting out of hand.

I am offended by FB posts that say Boris deserved to get it, purely from a political stance! Now that's offensive!
I take the comment that he is a fighter as reflecting on his personality trait of remaining positive, which he clearly was, to be reassuring in incredibly difficult and unknown circumstances.

Do you really not see how ‘Boris will get through this because he’s a fighter’ could be a difficult thing to hear if you’ve just lost a relative to CV?

In a more general sense I see how the language of ‘being a fighter’ is comforting when people are first diagnosed, but the opposite of that when people die.

I’m not sure where that leaves us.

It is a very poor choice of wording and likely to be hurtful.

However, much as I detest Raab & co, I think he can be forgiven. It did seem like he was trying to reassure himself as much as anything.

However, much as I detest Raab & co, I think he can be forgiven. It did seem like he was trying to reassure himself as much as anything.

Totally agree.

Still can't believe that the hilarity of "clap for Boris" has gone completely unnoticed. Sigh.

It's more Two World Wars and One World Cup bollocks, frankly.

Emily Maitlis spoke on this today and about the rich/poor divide.

heygirl

Yes!! Here's a link !

And if you'd asked them whether their relative would pull through at the time, a huge number would have decribed them as being 'fighters' too. It's tabloid shorthand for "i hope to heck this person doesn't die". @LaurieMarlow

Emily Maitlis is fantastic! These were her personal thoughts - about time someone said it!

@MogeatDog I was also glad she said what she did, I get very sick of the "we're all in this together" rhetoric when so many are shielded by access to second homes, ability to work from home, better health care etc.

I don't know how so many can't see this. I'm certainly not in a bad position (not in the UK and in a country with far better healthcare, not working at the moment, husband can work from home) and I'm not so blind as to pretend I'm not incredibly lucky.

Those who go out to drive buses, work in hospitals, teach children, clean the streets should be acknowledging for what they are doing. And not by mindlessly clapping outside our houses, but by actually changing the system so that it is fairer for all.

A dream, I know.