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Original poster

That fucking tree

173 replies

FlirtsWithRhinos · 29/09/2023 00:53

Anyone else pissed off that UK media and public seem more aghast about a 16 year old boy killing a tree than a 17 year old boy killing a girl?

OP posts:
IncomingTraffic · 29/09/2023 08:01

I also don’t understand why you’ve made this comparison. There is no link at all between the murder of a teenager and the bizarre act of cutting down a famous tree, other than they both might be in the news.

The tree story is getting a lot of attention because it’s weird.

lollipoprainbow · 29/09/2023 08:06

IWFH · 29/09/2023 07:53

This thread itself is indicative of people following stories that are 'different' in some way, or that individuals can relate to, and that therefore make 'newsworthy' stories.
15 fatal stabbings of teenagers in London alone so far this year. 14 of them were boys. If anyone on this thread can name any of the boys without looking them up I'd be surprised. Elianne Andam stands out BECAUSE she was a girl and BECAUSE she was at a private school. The only other stabbing this year that I could recall in detail was of Brianna Ghey in Warrington, again because this was an unusual story and therefore got more press coverage.
News items covering the death of a boy by stabbing frequently don't even get a mention on MN (or more than a passing mention in the press).

I don't recall the police laying flowers for other Stab victims either.

Startingagainandagain · 29/09/2023 08:11

it is not a competition though and you don't need to compare two completely different stories...

Both stories have gathered media attention and rightly so.

bluelagooon · 29/09/2023 08:15

What an utterly ridiculous comparison. Most people do have the emotional capacity to be pissed off/upset with more than one thing at a time 🙄

I live in the North East, not far away from sycamore gap and have seen plenty of news stories regarding the stabbing in Croydon too.

Yes I think the cutting down of the tree was an awful and ridiculous act of vandalism but that doesn’t stop me being horrified about what has happened to that poor girl in Croydon.

daisychain01 · 29/09/2023 08:15

What's disturbing about threads like this is that they fail to join the dots, that acts of violence against a beautiful tree are a symptom of a much bigger problem.

Deprivation of the human spirit, a young man who has been given no inspiration in his life, that he would not see anything wrong in axing down a tree, that violent cruel streak to nature is akin to violent acts of cruelty to animals. Many of the crimes committed by infamous murderers can be traced back to depravity, neglect and complete absence of positive role models as a blueprint for living a fruitful positive life, including cruelty to vulnerable creatures like puppies and kittens as a way of venting their spleen on life's unfairness.

you're missing the point OP. In this instance it is unhelpful to focus on a damaging trend in society with violence meted out to women as being compatible to the tree - comparing apples to oranges - particularly when, as pointed out on this thread, you are inaccurate in stating they haven't received equal coverage. Not true.

DivingForLove · 29/09/2023 08:16

I live in the SE and there is rightly loads of news coverage of the dreadful murder in Croydon - far far more than about the Sycamore Gap.

DivingForLove · 29/09/2023 08:18

@IWFH absolutely - the stabbing of boys gets a very passing mention sadly 😢.

Certainlyreally · 29/09/2023 08:22

PyongyangKipperbang · 29/09/2023 03:22

Couldnt agree more.

Too many angry thoughts to articulate about it but the simple fact is that the arsehole who cut the tree down will probably be "known" for the rest of their life, but the murderer who took the life of a wonderful young woman will not. Will anyone remember his name? Will anyone even fucking care?

Thats how little womens lives matter.

There will always be more of us. But only one fucking tree....ffs

Show quote history

but the murderer who took the life of a wonderful young woman will not. Will anyone remember his name? Will anyone even fucking care?

His name should not be remembered, her name should be.

Calmdown14 · 29/09/2023 08:26

The murder is terrible but reporting restrictions once someone is charged severely limit what can be published.

Same with the tree but there aren't exactly the same issues of identification with a tree. The media won't be able to write about the how it was done in the same way, but the history, symbolism etc can carry on.

There is nothing that says they are not both dreadful and awful in very different ways but it is unfair to compare them directly.

Frodofeeling · 29/09/2023 08:26

I just looked to see if there's an update on the tree and there are way more articles, much higher up on her murder than there are on the tree.

The tree is, sadly, a more unusual and puzzling event though. Yes, more shocking. Not because it's more tragic, of course it's not, but we haven't had a story like this before.

You didn't even bother to look up Elianne's name before posting OP.

Iwasafool · 29/09/2023 08:28

I'm much more upset about the 6 mature trees chopped down just behind my house so that a big developer can make lots of money building houses than I am about a tree I've never seen at the other end of the country.

Much more upset at the death of the 15 year old though.

SirChenjins · 29/09/2023 08:29

How much coverage did Claire Inglis get in other parts of the UK? Or did she only deserve a mention here in Scotland?

It's not an either/or - people can read a variety of awful news stories feel a range of emotions at all of them.

Malarandras · 29/09/2023 08:31

No. I’m in Scotland and there has been significant coverage of the stabbing of that poor girl. The tree as well but less so. It is possible for news to cover more than one story.

Fireisland · 29/09/2023 08:31

PurpleChrayne · 29/09/2023 06:49

It's bizarre.

I can't muster up even an iota of care for a random tree.

I also hate how the media is so focused on the fact that Eliyanna was at a private school.

Her name was Elianne.

Frodofeeling · 29/09/2023 08:32

If there's discrimination in the reporting of this case, it's becuase she's black, not because she's a woman. Elianne has had a lot more coverage than young black male stabbing victims.

And that, sadly is because it suits the public to believe that they and theirs aren't vulnerable to these attacks, which mostly they aren't.

MorrisZapp · 29/09/2023 08:37

This is a pointless comparison. Life isn't a zero sum game in which we can only care about violent death and nothing else. The tree is a big story, but nowhere near as big as this awful murder.

The arrest of the alleged murderer this morning was immediately reported on, and the issues around the murder are being discussed in depth on all news channels.

Dibbydoos · 29/09/2023 08:39

She wasn't his Ex either, she was a friend sticking up for his Ex. So very disturbing and front page news in national press and London SE, but local press in Midlands, not so much. Maybe most people only look at local press these days as that's what's pushed to us by social media?

Don't blame the tree it's blameless - your post title is OOO. A life is a life even if you don't think the tree is important to your wellbeing, it is. In fact it's more important to your wellbeing than the death of someone unrelated to you.

I am personally aghast by both events. Both are caused by the society we are becoming and that is the real travesty here....

MorrisZapp · 29/09/2023 08:39

SirChenjins · 29/09/2023 08:29

How much coverage did Claire Inglis get in other parts of the UK? Or did she only deserve a mention here in Scotland?

It's not an either/or - people can read a variety of awful news stories feel a range of emotions at all of them.

Edited

That poor girls broken parents were on the news last night. There are simply no words.

SmugglersHaunt · 29/09/2023 08:39

People are appalled at the killing in Croydon and it’s has huge media attention. You can’t draw direct parallels with the tree story as they are completely different in subject. The tree story is drawing interest because it’s so unusual. A teenager being killed is, very sadly, not unusual.

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 29/09/2023 08:39

Really?

Have word with yourself. Most people manage to hold two thoughts at the same time, and anyway the murder is getting a very wide coverage.

*Fucking tree', FFS.

SharonEllis · 29/09/2023 08:41

FlirtsWithRhinos · 29/09/2023 01:12

Maybe it's because I'm in the North, but I've heard plenty of people sharing aghastness about the tree and not one single person about the girl.

It feels like Dog bites Man vs Man bites Dog. Boy kills girl? Sad but it happens. Boy kills famous tree? End of days.

We have national media. Radio 4 has barely stopped talking about the murder this morning. Whats missing is the analysis of male violence though. It mostly is about knife crime. I am also very upset about the tree & willing to bet a very great deal that men were responsible for that too.

Superhair · 29/09/2023 08:41

Not heard anything about the tree, but have heard a lot about the Elianne murder case and I’m in the North.

snoooom · 29/09/2023 08:42

I'm in the south and there is rightly loads of coverage about the murder.
I saw headline on SM that said a 16yo had been arrested for felling the tree so checked the BBC News app - nothing.

We are allowed to be upset and angry about two different things at the same time.

Riverlee · 29/09/2023 08:42

DivingForLove · 29/09/2023 08:16

I live in the SE and there is rightly loads of news coverage of the dreadful murder in Croydon - far far more than about the Sycamore Gap.

Was about to say the same. Lots of coverage of the shocking murder on the news.

DinnaeFashYersel · 29/09/2023 08:45

It's possible to be upset about more than one thing at a time and to be upset to different degrees.

I'm up north (Scotland) and all the front pages here are about a woman who has been murdered by her boyfriend out on bail.

Are you getting that story down south?

It's awful news. So is the girl who's been murdered in England.

I'm also a bit about sad about the tree.