Why Facebook are right to allow ‘R.I.P. Raoul Moat' tribute
There is uproar over the tribute page set up for Raoul Moat on Facebook. The media are becoming ever more outraged as the numbers joining the page climb past 38,000 and yesterday and Downing Street are apparently leaning on Facebook.
However, Facebook say the page is within its terms and conditions and should stay up – and they are right to do so. Those adding adoration for the callous killer are entitled to their opinion, however offensive the majority and indeed the media find it.
Make no mistake, I find it reprehensible that Moat, a cold-blooded killer who triggered a massive manhunt after shooting his ex-partner, killing her boyfriend and seriously wounding a policeman, should be eulogised in this way. It certainly wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t shot himself when surrounded by the police.
Flowers have been left outside his home in Newcastle by those who knew and liked him, together with those who feel his pain, and even those who applaud his actions. More floral tributes in Rothbury where the killer hid out and eventually died.
Responding in Parliament yesterday the Prime Minister was wholesome in his condemnation when he stormed: “As far as I can see, it is absolutely clear that Raoul Moat was a callous murderer - full stop, end of story - and I cannot understand any wave, however small, of public sympathy for this man.”
The crucial words overlooked by the media are ‘however small’. Crucially he identifies that actually, the numbers involved in this Facebook page and those leaving the flowers are actually very small.
There may well be questions about a system that allowed Raoul Moat to reach this stage, access firearms and what prompted his ex-partner to lie about dating a police officer? Those too should be expressed and answered and some are appearing on the Facebook page.
When I was a police press officer with Thames Valley Police, the first bunch of flowers left at a scene of tragedy were actually placed by a newspaper photographer to get a photo in time for deadline. Others took the hint and florists were happy to oblige and after a few hours there were plenty of flowers. This phenomenon has grown and rolling news ensures that any such floral tributes are widely shown, encouraging more people to leave flowers.
The internet has allowed for tribute websites to leave virtual flowers that do not fade, except perhaps in the search engines and now social media has turbo-charged that into something altogether more powerful. Now it is flowers and Facebook and again, courtesy of the rolling media, lots more people are aware and have joined in condemning the tribute page and clearly in some cases supporting it. In simple terms, Facebook just facilitates people expressing their emotions; social media increases the audience.
While the UK has no ‘first amendment’ guaranteeing freedom of speech, we do have laws that allow people to express honestly held or truthful views. Thankfully Facebook is more mindful of these than our politicians.
As a complete aside, the winner of Newbury Comedy Festival’s amateur contest, Matt Richardson, cracked a joke in Tuesday’s final about Facebook tribute pages. Involved in a near miss car crash he said that his life didn’t flash before his eyes, only a realisation that the only three people who knew he didn’t want a Facebook tribute page were in the car with him.
UPDATE 17.00 THURSDAY 15TH JULY
The offending tribute page has been deleted - but not by Facebook who stood by its decision. Instead the creator of the page Siobhan O'Dowd voluntarily deleted it after being overwhelmed by the uproar.
This blog stands, but perhaps what the latest development shows is the weak link in the chain. No doubt other groups will spring up and no matter how repugnant making Raoul Moat into a hero may seem to the majority, they have the right to hold that view.