Sophie Lancaster
I am 28 years old. I have been fortunate enough since turning 20 to finish university and find a good job (well several since then) and find a wonderful human to spend the rest of my life with. I am about to go house hunting in the new year and I have (hopefully) a long life ahead of me.
Sophie Lancaster should have had that too. Her birthday (26 November) is exactly 10 days after mine. Today (26/11/2014) she would have turned 28. All those things I wrote about doing since I turned 20 should have been things she had a right to as well. Sophie has never had those opportunities as her life was taken away by the stupid and cruel actions of a bunch of teenagers.
The thing that makes me most angry is the reason why she and her boyfriend were attacked that night. Walking and minding their own business this group of kids took offence at them because they were members of the alternative community. By this I mean they had dyed hair, piercings and listened to rock/metal.
As a member of this community myself I find it shocking that just because of the way someone dresses or presents themselves to the world they had their life taken. I know so many people in the alt. community and they are the most loyal and lovely people you could meet. All are interesting, artistic and intelligent people and I cannot understand how someone could take offence so easily!
That is why it is important to remember Sophie. This was a hate crime and abuse of people in the alt. community goes on all too often (remember, even the Daily Fail...sorry, I mean Mail tried to run a hate/smear campaign against 'the cult of emos' back in 2006/7). There is a lack of understanding of what the community is really all about. At the end of the day we are just people who love our music and the themes connected to it. We are not dangerous and we will not try and brain wash your child into joining some 'death cult'. Honestly, most of us just want to get on with our lives and our jobs and our art/studies and just be left alone. We do not mean to scare you. Rather than shout abuse, ask us questions about our taste in music or clothes (honestly, most of us would love someone to take an interest in that).
Check out the wonderful work of S.O.P.H.I.E. It should never have had to be set up, but I am glad it is there.
Sophie Lancaster should have had that too. Her birthday (26 November) is exactly 10 days after mine. Today (26/11/2014) she would have turned 28. All those things I wrote about doing since I turned 20 should have been things she had a right to as well. Sophie has never had those opportunities as her life was taken away by the stupid and cruel actions of a bunch of teenagers.
The thing that makes me most angry is the reason why she and her boyfriend were attacked that night. Walking and minding their own business this group of kids took offence at them because they were members of the alternative community. By this I mean they had dyed hair, piercings and listened to rock/metal.
As a member of this community myself I find it shocking that just because of the way someone dresses or presents themselves to the world they had their life taken. I know so many people in the alt. community and they are the most loyal and lovely people you could meet. All are interesting, artistic and intelligent people and I cannot understand how someone could take offence so easily!
That is why it is important to remember Sophie. This was a hate crime and abuse of people in the alt. community goes on all too often (remember, even the Daily Fail...sorry, I mean Mail tried to run a hate/smear campaign against 'the cult of emos' back in 2006/7). There is a lack of understanding of what the community is really all about. At the end of the day we are just people who love our music and the themes connected to it. We are not dangerous and we will not try and brain wash your child into joining some 'death cult'. Honestly, most of us just want to get on with our lives and our jobs and our art/studies and just be left alone. We do not mean to scare you. Rather than shout abuse, ask us questions about our taste in music or clothes (honestly, most of us would love someone to take an interest in that).
Check out the wonderful work of S.O.P.H.I.E. It should never have had to be set up, but I am glad it is there.
Comments
Post a Comment