[News] Stephen Lawrence Day

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

The murder of Young Lawrence was a shocking event; pure evil - and the police investigation, riddled with prejudice, was shocking too, not dissimilar in a way to the police culture involved in the Hillsborough investigation. But I'm not sure having a 'Day' for him is the right thing to do. Yes, he was a victim, as were his friends and family, and I have every sympathy for them and hope that while their grief will never go away it might ease a little with the passing of the years.
But where do we draw the line at 'Days'? Police incompetence and prejudice at Hillsborough - should we have a Hillsborough Victims Day? Or what about a Lee Rigby Day? - just as much a victim of wicked and evil prejudice.
If a 'Stephen Lawrence Day' gives some comfort to his family and friend, fine, I don't begrudge it them, but as a general rule, I'm not convinced that 'Days' for victims is the way to go.

this

 

[GT49er]

Do we get a days holiday? Is it a bank holiday?

No it isn't. Though I suppose those who are sick enough to regard it as a celebration will think it should be.

 

[looney]

No it isn't. Though I suppose those who are sick enough to regard it as a celebration will think it should be.

And thats how it could all backfire.....

 

[Beach Hut]

I think a couple of them had some fairly influential help, as Westander mentions above.

One of the over-riding memories of the initial trial, was the Acourt's leaving court gobbling at all & sundry! Not pleasant!

I thought those for 4 snarling morons did that after they were called to the official enquiry after the trial which was at Elephant & Castle

 

[Weststander]

That 3 part series showed what a shocking racialist attack it was and the glaring incompetence and neglect from the Met.

One thing I may have missed was why were only two people eventually convicted and not more ?

DNA of SL's blood was found, for example down the back of the neck on the clothing of the murderers. A forensics expert proved that's common in stabbings ... microscopic globules can take that unlikely path.

The witnesses heard really loud shouting by the murderers as the charged after SL and attacked him. Again, forensics sought and found saliva from the murderers on SL, knowing that shouting causes saliva to travel.

The famous video of a couple of the murderers re-enacting the the stabbings, proved useful. It dismantled their defence that they were innocent, gentle types who liked black people. They had said that.

The more modern law of joint enterprise would have got them all convicted.

Also due to the police incompetence or corruption, the Acourt's were able to dump their bag of murdering clothes, whilst under surveillance. You may have seen the famous pics of that. Nowt was done!

 

[Crispy Ambulance]

I thought those for 4 snarling morons did that after they were called to the official enquiry after the trial which was at Elephant & Castle

Sorry, yes, you could be right. I just remember the sheer affrontary of them at the time.

 

[Crispy Ambulance]

DNA of SL's blood was found, for example down the back of the neck on the clothing of the murderers. A forensics expert proved that's common in stabbings ... microscopic globules can take that unlikely path.

The witnesses heard really loud shouting by the murderers as the charged after SL and attacked him. Again, forensics sought and found saliva from the murderers on SL, knowing that shouting causes saliva to travel.

The famous video of a couple of the murderers re-enacting the the stabbings, proved useful. It dismantled their defence that they were innocent, gentle types who liked black people. They had said that.

The more modern law of joint enterprise would have got them all convicted.

Also due to the police incompetence or corruption, the Acourt's were able to dump their bag of murdering clothes, whilst under surveillance. You may have seen the famous pics of that. Nowt was done!

Dodgy handshakes or backhanders? Or both? Diabolical either way!

 

[cunning fergus]

22nd of April is to be a national day of commemoration for the murdered Black teenager announced by Theresa May today.

More relevant in this day and age than St George’s day.

There are definitely a lot of young black men dying in London these days, seemingly being murdered at the hands of knife wielding gangs.

In this context, Stephen Lawrence day is only relevant “in this day and age” if these young black men are similarly aspiring architects being murdered by a group of violent racist white young men.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

Much as I deplore the murder of this young man, I cannot see a reason or benefit in this proposal ..
Why not a Dunblane day? A London bomber day on 7th June? The list could go on...

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Much as I deplore the murder of this young man, I cannot see a reason or benefit in this proposal ..
Why not a Dunblane day? A London bomber day on 7th June? The list could go on...

Already covered by 'All Hallows Eve'.

 

[BLOCK F]

Where does it end?
When I heard the news of this day, I really couldn't believe it.
Quite ridiculous. I thought I heard on the news that Stephen's mother said it was time to move on from this tragedy and she wanted to put behind her all the comment, theories and regurgitation of what did or did not happen.If that is true, this isn't going to help!
A weird, miguided political gesture, in my view.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Where does it end?
When I heard the news of this day, I really couldn't believe it.
Quite ridiculous. I thought I heard on the news that Stephen's mother said it was time to move on from this tragedy and she wanted to put behind her all the comment, theories and regurgitation of what did or did not happen.If that is true, this isn't going to help!
A weird, miguided political gesture, in my view.

I'd be interested to know what she thinks of this named day

 

[BLOCK F]

I'd be interested to know what she thinks of this named day

Heaven knows.
Will we ever know what she really thinks about it.
Surely this proposal must have been discussed with the family.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Heaven knows.
Will we ever know what she really thinks about it.
Surely this proposal must have been discussed with the family.

Just as an aside i found the book by Doreen Lawrence (and a co writer) And Still I Rise compelling reading......i'm not one who reads a lot but found it hard to put down

 

[studio150]

For those wanting to watch the 3 part documentary on iplayer, you can only watch the first 2 episodes as the third has been removed from iplayer for legal reasons

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6127007/stephen-lawrence-documentary-bbc-iplayer-episode-3-removed-legal-reasons/

 

[NooBHA]

The murder of Young Lawrence was a shocking event; pure evil - and the police investigation, riddled with prejudice, was shocking too, not dissimilar in a way to the police culture involved in the Hillsborough investigation. But I'm not sure having a 'Day' for him is the right thing to do. Yes, he was a victim, as were his friends and family, and I have every sympathy for them and hope that while their grief will never go away it might ease a little with the passing of the years.
But where do we draw the line at 'Days'? Police incompetence and prejudice at Hillsborough - should we have a Hillsborough Victims Day? Or what about a Lee Rigby Day? - just as much a victim of wicked and evil prejudice.
If a 'Stephen Lawrence Day' gives some comfort to his family and friend, fine, I don't begrudge it them, but as a general rule, I'm not convinced that 'Days' for victims is the way to go.

I think many people on here and around the UK have more tolerant views on racial issues due to this case. Not just because of the police handling of the case but they saw first hand the complete and utter disregard of a human black life by the perpetrators. People saw them live on the 6pm news and it turned many people's stomachs and that held a mirror up to society and made people ask themselves ''is this the type of people that UK society is harnessing'' ?

That in itself forced us to look inward and many people changed their own actions and probably brought their children up differently because of it. So Stephen Lawrence's death Did indeed change many people in this Nation. So perhaps it is not so much Stephen's personal day but the recognition that we for the most part changed. That to me is worth recognition because it will help future Generations to remember not to fall back into the ways of our past. We still have a long way to go but recognition annually will help us along that route.

 

[Weststander]

Just as an aside i found the book by Doreen Lawrence (and a co writer) And Still I Rise compelling reading......i'm not one who reads a lot but found it hard to put down

She came across as an amazing person in the BBC docs. Steely determination for justice, police openly criticised her even now as false! She said beneath the veneer, she hurts so much and would have Stephen back in a moment even if that meant reversing all the positive change stemming from the murder/cover up.

 

[sydney]

I normally avoid sad documentaries, but last week watched a brilliant BBC 3 part series about the entire events, long legal fight, with contributions from former home secretaries key to the campaign, plus a cross section of the Met directly involved. The UK was a worse place in 1993 for minorities, no matter what any doom-monger will tell you. Watching the series on iPlayer will throw light on the brutal racism around in decades past, and possible Police (some rotten apples) help for the perpetrators.

Very moving.

i had dreads in sussex back in the 80's and hung around in worthing , brighton , littlehampton .....the miniscule black community were persecuted by the coppers , particularly in worthing where the old bill would frequently use the local skinhead lads to provoke the black lads and then miraculously turn up and arrest all the black lads they could pin down ....usually only two or three because they were ****ing piss weak ....i can still remember the names of a lot of the old bill back then ....they were lucky to have got away with what they did ....some of them very nearly got their houses torched , not by the black lads but by the white folk who were ****ing sick of their pals getting picked on all the time ......we used to go and visit them in lewes ....usually they would have been kicked to ****....so yeah......entrenched , systemic racism was certainly alive and kicking in the UK in the 80's ........but from a very small and influential minority , in my experience.

 

[looney]

I think many people on here and around the UK have more tolerant views on racial issues due to this case. Not just because of the police handling of the case but they saw first hand the complete and utter disregard of a human black life by the perpetrators. People saw them live on the 6pm news and it turned many people's stomachs and that held a mirror up to society and made people ask themselves ''is this the type of people that UK society is harnessing'' ?

That in itself forced us to look inward and many people changed their own actions and probably brought their children up differently because of it. So Stephen Lawrence's death Did indeed change many people in this Nation. So perhaps it is not so much Stephen's personal day but the recognition that we for the most part changed. That to me is worth recognition because it will help future Generations to remember not to fall back into the ways of our past. We still have a long way to go but recognition annually will help us along that route.

The counter argument to all that wishful thinking is the dodgy idea of institutional racism, which nobled the police and led to Rotherham.

 

[daveinprague]

Living with a black family showed me clearly that there was still a lot of racism in the 80s. I can honestly say, ive never been stopped by the police when only travelling with white people. I cannot count how many times we as a family were stopped for no real apparent reason. Thankfully those times have moved on a bit. Not sure about the name day tbh