In thinking that people should not be sending

[Osama]

me sick jokes about yesterdays shootings in Cumbria? I didn't know any of the victims but I was offended with what was sent me. When I complained I was told that its 'a British thing.

urgh thats just sick and wrong.

was it a work e-mail ie can you complain to hr about it? or was it just 'friends' thinking they are funny?

addictedisalmosthalfway

It was a work email from a colleague who I would normally consider a friend.

complain to hr, that jsut cant be right. plus there may be people or friends of people that are involved that the college has sent it to.

its just sick that anyone can make a joke about it.

It is a 'British thing' isn't it? It seems to take minutes for the 'jokes' to start. I remember nasa, and the ferry and loads more. I don't know of any other country where they seem to delight in it, in who can get the jokes out first. I don't think it's anything to be proud of, tbh, but he's right when he says it's a british thing. I guess we as a nation must just be more cruel than most others.

Won't be long and you will get people posting to ask what the jokes are.

YANBU.

I know what they are Fab, they're popping up all over the net.

People are sick sometimes.

Nice user-name

It is a British thing to have a sense of humour and make jokes about adversity, but I don't think that it is a British thing to make sick jokes about the suffering of others. I haven't seen any and don't want to.

By Psammead Fri 04-Jun-10 18:55:36
Nice user-name

My SIL DH thinks so.

YANBU.

I hate the jokes like this. My friends know not to send them to me as it just makes my blood boil.

YANBU btw - hated it after 9/11 too.

I wasn't slamming the name Osama - I understand it's many people's name - I just found it ironic on this thread - maybe I expressed that badly.

Psammead

What is ironic about it? I do not see the connection between a common name like Osama and work place bullying.

Osama

Aplogies, wrong thread. Yes, I see what you mean. Most definately ironic, just made me laugh.

I think the connection is that osama bin laden killed lots of people as did the man who did the cumbria shootings.

I don't like it and tend to delete those kind of emails. BUT, I think for some people it is a way of dispelling the bad emotions they feel.

I remember lots of these kind of jokes during the IRA bombings, and the Apollo rocket blow-up.

Perhaps it's a MAN thing?

I think there is something wrong with people who send those sorts of emails. I know that my DH thinks these emails are very funny even in the immediate aftermath of an event and he does send them around work. He doesn't send them to me because I have told him I don't think they're funny. My DH is a very cold hearted person (and obv we have marital issues, but that's an aside!).

I think you are being very charitable when you say that it's how some people deal with their emotions abraid.

I think these emails are a sign of a complete and utter lack of empathy and an immature and pathetic attitude. Tbh.

Well we live in Cumbria and my DH actually drove past where 4 of the victims were gunned down less than 24 hours later as part of his job (he works in West Cumbria and was in Whitehaven, Seascale and Egremont yesterday).

I believe that anyone who finds humour in what has happened in West Cumbria, or indeed any horrific event like this, is quite frankly sick. I wonder if they would see the 'humour' in those 'jokes' if it was a member of their family that had been gunned down?! Nope, thought not.

I dont think there is an excuse for it.

'Gallows humour' is one thing, and its a very specific thing. Its ok for soldiers and the police etc to 'joke' amoungst themselves in order keep sane.

This is not a priviledge afforded to any knobhead who thinks he is being edgy.

Since losing my DD I have formed friendships with many others who have lost children of all ages. Many have lost their children to murder and disaster. I look at things like this in a totally different way now.

Its never funny, not ever.

Certainly not seeking to justify them! Just guessing that a lot of them are young, immature, men who are crap at formulating emotional responses. Or just shutting up if they can't think of what to say.