Western society and western civilization on display.
On both sides of the Atlantic two singular events should serve as reminders to readers on just how ill western society is
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In the city of Philadelphia, in the United States the AP ran this headline yesterday “Train riders held up phones as woman was raped, police say”1
Here is part of the report. “ A man charged with raping a woman on a commuter train just outside of Philadelphia harassed her for more than 40 minutes while multiple people held up their phones to seemingly record the assault without intervening, authorities said. More than two dozen train stops passed as the man harassed, groped and eventually raped the woman, the police chief for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority said at a news conference Monday. Police do not believe a single witness on the train dialed 911. They are investigating whether some bystanders filmed the assault.”
The AP reported that “arrest records show Fiston Ngoy, 35, was charged with rape and related offenses.”
Then this bit of science. “Elizabeth Jeglic, a psychology professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, researches sexual violence prevention. She said if people feel uncomfortable physically intervening, there are other options like calling the police. “ She went on, “When we have multiple people, people don’t necessarily intervene,” she said. “However, more recent research actually suggests that looking at video footage of more extreme circumstances that up to 90% of cases we do see people intervening. So it was actually somewhat of an aberration in this case that somebody did not step forward to help this individual.”
Really, an aberration?
The article goes on “According to the court documents, the woman told police that Ngoy ignored her pleas to go away. Ngoy claimed in his statement to police that he knew the victim, but couldn’t remember her name and said the encounter was consensual.”
Really, consensual?
AP reported that “Ngoy, who listed his last address as a homeless shelter, remained in custody on $180,000 bail. His initial court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 25. Court records show he had not requested a public defender as of Monday.”
Really, $180,00 bail for an allegedly homeless person?
Across the Atlantic in the UK another example of western society and western civilization on display an MP David Amess died after being stabbed at constituency meeting 2
The UK Guardian had this headline last week. “Man arrested on suspicion of murder after Conservative MP attacked during regular surgery in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex”
Parts of the report, “The Conservative MP Sir David Amess has died after he was stabbed several times during a surgery at his constituency in Essex, police have said. Amess, 69, an MP since 1983 who had represented Southend West in Essex since 1997, was attacked at a church in Leigh-on-Sea. He is the second MP to be killed in just over five years, after the murder of Jo Cox. Essex police said a 25-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of murder. Officers were called to the scene at about 12.05pm on Friday, the force said, to reports that Amess had been stabbed, confirming he was the victim.”
A statement said: “Despite the best efforts of paramedics, sadly, he died at the scene. A 25 year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in custody. We have recovered a knife from the scene and are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.” The Conservative MP Sir David Amess has died after he was stabbed several times during a surgery at his constituency in Essex, police have said.”
The senselessness and wickedness of this murder was very troubling for me. I never heard of or knew this gentleman but the outpouring of grief by so many in Britain was telling. There is something very wrong in UK society when so much was said by so many about his death.
The Guardian reported that “the news prompted shock and distress across the political spectrum. Flags at parliament were lowered to half-mast. The Guardian understands that counter-terrorism police are assisting the investigation into the stabbing, which is being led by Essex police. Senior counter-terrorism officials are monitoring the situation closely and are being updated on emerging details of the attack and the suspect.”
Is this just another case of the decline? Afterall the Essex incident is not unique. The Guardian reminded readers that “in 2016, the Labour MP Cox was stabbed and shot dead by a far-right terrorist shortly before holding a surgery. Brendan Cox, her widower, tweeted: “Attacking our elected representatives is an attack on democracy itself. There is no excuse, no justification. It is as cowardly as it gets.
In 2010, another Labour MP, Stephen Timms, was stabbed twice at a constituency surgery by a student radicalised by online videos. In 2000, Andrew Pennington, an assistant to the Lib Dem MP Nigel Jones, was stabbed to death as he tried to protect Jones from an attacker who stormed his constituency office armed with a sword.”
The latest on the Amess case is that the man arrested for the murder of Sir David Amess was first referred to the counter-terror scheme seven years ago.3
The Sun reported that “Ali Harbi Ali has been named as a suspect after the Tory MP was killed at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. The 25-year-old is being questioned by anti-terror cops after being arrested at the scene while sitting calmly and waiting for them to arrive. Since his arrest it has emerged he had been flagged by the anti-radicalisation scheme and had extremist material on his phone. It has now emerged he was referred to the Channel counter-terror scheme as far back 2014, The Guardian reports.”
“According to The Guardian he voluntarily accepted referral and source said “he went through the process and was discharged. He was not thought to pose a threat of terrorist violence and the case was closed,” the source added.”
These two events should have us all reflect on where western society is today and what does it portent for our collective future.
Mon, October 18, 2021 https://news.yahoo.com/train-riders-held-phones-woman-233116677.html
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/15/mp-david-amess-dies-after-being-stabbed-at-constituency-surgery
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/16475791/david-amess-murder-referred-counter-terror-seven-years/