In memory of a murdered baby
An article really touched me today
from 
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Maybe I'm ignorant, I don't know. Ignorance is bliss, that's what they say right? I'd like to stay ignorant to many things that go on in the world, I really would. What an easy life that would be, no bad going on, no evil people, just a nice happy world. That's not the case, and ignorance to such things is not possible because in the long run this will just make you as bad as the people doing the awful things. I watch the news, I read papers, I'm not ignorant to what's going on in the world. What I am able to do is turn my emotions off. Death is on the news all the time, I don't grieve all them people, it isn't possible, I feel for them, of course, but I am capable of distancing myself. It doesn't directly change my life, it just makes me aware. A long time ago there was a story in the news that changed that. It made me want to break my heart, it touched my life like nothing else in the news ever had. It made me angry, sad, hurt, it made me want to change the world. To this day none of them emotions have changed, when I hear anything related to this story, it still makes me want to break my heart for the little boy it involves, and it still makes my blood boil about these two killers. Even now, it makes me emotional. So what made me talk about this today? I saw an article in the newspaper, bringing up old memories about it. That's the thing about the news, things are forgotten, these killers are out there somewhere, and we've forgotten. Some Mother doesn't have her little boy anymore. She'll never forget. The news has chosen to move on to some other current event, but this little boy should be remembered, he deserves that at least. Don't think I'm saying other news isn't important, this just touched me in ways that I didn't think was possible.
Liverpool is the arch enemy of Manchester where I'm from, we are close in proximity, we are alike in culture, yet we are in constant competition with each other, when really we should work together because we are both two great northern cities with alot to offer if given the right opportunity. This story is set in Liverpool, a long time ago now, February 1993. A mother is taking her son James shopping with her. James is two years old. Shopping isn't that thrilling for a two year old, they want to be playing, running about, having fun, but he was stuck shopping with his Mum. She turned her back on him, just for a second, but that's all it takes, and he was gone. Now at first I'm sure she just thought he'd gone for a little wander as many two year olds do, as they have no sense of danger, but he wasn't to be found anywhere. James Bulger was officially missing. His picture was on the front of every newspaper, blond hair and big blue eyes, with a cheeky smile. His parents were on tv, pleading for him to be brought back to them safely. Their son who was a mere 2ft 6in tall.
Jame's body was found not long after, two miles away from the shopping centre on a railway track. His body had been horrifically assaulted. So what makes this crime any different to other kidnappings and murders? This crime was committed by two ten year old boys. Just children themselves. They didn't just murder James, they tortured him before his death. He was found two miles away from the shopping centre. These boys lured him from his Mother, and then took him on this journey. They kicked, punched, dragged, tormented this two year old boy. Who was tired, weary, crying, bleeding. People even saw them on this journey, they have accounts of people saying how they just though they were three brothers, doing what brothers do. Ten year olds can't be capable of anything more sinister surely? They finally got him to this railway track, where they threw bricks and stones, and violently attacked him with a piece of metal, he was left with multiple head injuries, dead already, he was left on the train track, and was cut in two by a train. He was just a baby.
The death of James Bulger caused public uproar, especially when it was found out this crime was commited by two ten year old boys. Should them boys be really blamed? Or were they just victims themselves, were they the result of society gone bad? They were children, they were meant to be guided by adults along the right path. Some thought these boys were just pure evil. Some thought they didn't really know what they were doing, and saw it as some game, that there weren't any real consequences to their actions. They were influenced by the media, by computer games, what they were doing wasn't real. Ten year olds know right from wrong. That I have no doubt of. Were these boys evil? I honestly wouldn't like to say. In my opinion three children lost their lives that day. There was something clearly wrong with these boys, and their behaviour needed to be punished, they commited an adult crime, they should be punished duely.
So just how were they punished? Before I go on, I'd like to make a few things clear. I don't believe these boys should be left in prison to rot, I don't believe they should of had life sentences. They were children, that must be considered. However this crime deserved punishment, and they also needed help, and alot of it. "Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged 11, became the youngest convicted murderers in Britain for almost 250 years when a jury at Preston crown court found them guilty of abducting and murdering two-year-old James Bulger. They were sentenced to be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure and were expected to be kept locked up for at least 20 years." The boys were placed in a childrens unit, they didn't have very happy home lives. both had problems way before this crime was commited. In this childrens unit, they were given an education to degree level, an opportunity they may not have had if they were still at home. They were taken out on trips, they were allowed to go out with families etc. Members of the public viewed this as more of a holiday camp, than actual punishment for these two boys, but what did they expect? They wanted these boys to be rehabilitated, to be saved as it were, they didn't want them to turn into hardened criminals, though some thought that's exactly what they were. My opinion on this is difficult, my heart says they should suffer for what they did to this little boy, suffer beyond belief, like he did. My head says that they needed to be guided, that they needed to be nurtured, that they lost their childhoods, and their freedom, and their family. It just appears they got more rewards than you're average child from Liverpool ever gets. In June 2001 these boys were given new identities, new lives and released from prison, neither ever went to an adult prison for the crimes they commited.
This was always going to be a difficult case, and I don't think it would ever being dealt with to the satisfaction of the general public. These boys I'm sure haven't had an easy time and I'm sure they have many hard times to come, they both have their own guilt to live with. I do feel they both should have spent a short time in an adult prison, just to see that there is a darker side to the justice system. They were relased eight years after they killed James. He would have been ten years old. People wanted their identites to be released, but how could they be, with death threats flooding in, they had to be hidden for their own safety, which brings me on to what made me think of this awful crime today. I was reading the newspaper when I saw a story about a local DJ who had acquired himself a stalker. This stalker had convinced herself that this DJ was one of James killers, living under his new identity, and proceeded to make all kinds of threats. This DJ of course wasn't and she is seeking medical help. She now realises he isn't one of the killers. It just shows how much passion people still have towards this case even today. Very sad for all involved, especially the baby boy who never had the chance of life.
Liverpool is the arch enemy of Manchester where I'm from, we are close in proximity, we are alike in culture, yet we are in constant competition with each other, when really we should work together because we are both two great northern cities with alot to offer if given the right opportunity. This story is set in Liverpool, a long time ago now, February 1993. A mother is taking her son James shopping with her. James is two years old. Shopping isn't that thrilling for a two year old, they want to be playing, running about, having fun, but he was stuck shopping with his Mum. She turned her back on him, just for a second, but that's all it takes, and he was gone. Now at first I'm sure she just thought he'd gone for a little wander as many two year olds do, as they have no sense of danger, but he wasn't to be found anywhere. James Bulger was officially missing. His picture was on the front of every newspaper, blond hair and big blue eyes, with a cheeky smile. His parents were on tv, pleading for him to be brought back to them safely. Their son who was a mere 2ft 6in tall.
Jame's body was found not long after, two miles away from the shopping centre on a railway track. His body had been horrifically assaulted. So what makes this crime any different to other kidnappings and murders? This crime was committed by two ten year old boys. Just children themselves. They didn't just murder James, they tortured him before his death. He was found two miles away from the shopping centre. These boys lured him from his Mother, and then took him on this journey. They kicked, punched, dragged, tormented this two year old boy. Who was tired, weary, crying, bleeding. People even saw them on this journey, they have accounts of people saying how they just though they were three brothers, doing what brothers do. Ten year olds can't be capable of anything more sinister surely? They finally got him to this railway track, where they threw bricks and stones, and violently attacked him with a piece of metal, he was left with multiple head injuries, dead already, he was left on the train track, and was cut in two by a train. He was just a baby.
The death of James Bulger caused public uproar, especially when it was found out this crime was commited by two ten year old boys. Should them boys be really blamed? Or were they just victims themselves, were they the result of society gone bad? They were children, they were meant to be guided by adults along the right path. Some thought these boys were just pure evil. Some thought they didn't really know what they were doing, and saw it as some game, that there weren't any real consequences to their actions. They were influenced by the media, by computer games, what they were doing wasn't real. Ten year olds know right from wrong. That I have no doubt of. Were these boys evil? I honestly wouldn't like to say. In my opinion three children lost their lives that day. There was something clearly wrong with these boys, and their behaviour needed to be punished, they commited an adult crime, they should be punished duely.
So just how were they punished? Before I go on, I'd like to make a few things clear. I don't believe these boys should be left in prison to rot, I don't believe they should of had life sentences. They were children, that must be considered. However this crime deserved punishment, and they also needed help, and alot of it. "Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged 11, became the youngest convicted murderers in Britain for almost 250 years when a jury at Preston crown court found them guilty of abducting and murdering two-year-old James Bulger. They were sentenced to be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure and were expected to be kept locked up for at least 20 years." The boys were placed in a childrens unit, they didn't have very happy home lives. both had problems way before this crime was commited. In this childrens unit, they were given an education to degree level, an opportunity they may not have had if they were still at home. They were taken out on trips, they were allowed to go out with families etc. Members of the public viewed this as more of a holiday camp, than actual punishment for these two boys, but what did they expect? They wanted these boys to be rehabilitated, to be saved as it were, they didn't want them to turn into hardened criminals, though some thought that's exactly what they were. My opinion on this is difficult, my heart says they should suffer for what they did to this little boy, suffer beyond belief, like he did. My head says that they needed to be guided, that they needed to be nurtured, that they lost their childhoods, and their freedom, and their family. It just appears they got more rewards than you're average child from Liverpool ever gets. In June 2001 these boys were given new identities, new lives and released from prison, neither ever went to an adult prison for the crimes they commited.
This was always going to be a difficult case, and I don't think it would ever being dealt with to the satisfaction of the general public. These boys I'm sure haven't had an easy time and I'm sure they have many hard times to come, they both have their own guilt to live with. I do feel they both should have spent a short time in an adult prison, just to see that there is a darker side to the justice system. They were relased eight years after they killed James. He would have been ten years old. People wanted their identites to be released, but how could they be, with death threats flooding in, they had to be hidden for their own safety, which brings me on to what made me think of this awful crime today. I was reading the newspaper when I saw a story about a local DJ who had acquired himself a stalker. This stalker had convinced herself that this DJ was one of James killers, living under his new identity, and proceeded to make all kinds of threats. This DJ of course wasn't and she is seeking medical help. She now realises he isn't one of the killers. It just shows how much passion people still have towards this case even today. Very sad for all involved, especially the baby boy who never had the chance of life.
