A very light sleeper

[liv]

In March this year, Jerry Duggan was killed after admitting to being Jewish in a hostile environment. I heard about this because Jerry was a friend of my brother Screwy. Yesterday, The Times published an account of the inquest, which quashed the suggestion that Jerry's death was a suicide. There is also some analysis in the same paper. The inquest was also reported recently in The Guardian. There is more background on Jerry's murder in this article in The Guardian of a few months ago. I'm letting the articles speak for themselves, because last time I tried to comment on this horror I ended up being rather vehement at rysmiel, and generally degenerated into incoherent rage.

Comments

[shreena.livejournal.com]

I'm not quite sure what to say, but thank you for the post and the articles as the more people who know and are upset by this, probably the better in that at least it raises awareness.

[liv]

I'm not quite sure what to say
Well, thanks for commenting anyway. I wasn't really expecting comforting words, but I do appreciate knowing that you've read the post.

the more people who know and are upset by this, probably the better
Yes, that's exactly the reaction I was hoping for, and indeed the reason why I posted the links. Thanks again, Shreena.

[(Anonymous)]

I can't really think of what to say either, apart from Shreena is absolutely right. Thank you for your courage in bringing this up. Hugs to you and Screwy and everyone involved.

EM xx

[doseybat.livejournal.com]

how frightening

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

I must admit that missed this when you originally posted it, so I must thank doseybat far pointing it out. What an astonishing, terrible story. It reads like something from fiction, or a history of less civilised times, if only that were true. It is important to remind onesself that this happens, right here, right now.

Jew or not, this should scare anyone.

[liv]

What an astonishing, terrible story.
Yes.

It reads like something from fiction, or a history of less civilised times, if only that were true.
Until a couple of years ago I didn't really believe in antisemitism at all; in fact, I used to express a hope that 'other sorts of prejudice would soon go the way of antisemitism'. *sigh*

Jew or not, this should scare anyone.
You are right, I should be scared. Only my main reaction is of fury. I'm not just angry that these people killed a 20-year-old kid for daring to suggest that the war on Iraq is not a Zionist conspiracy, though obviously that's a big element of it. But I'm also angry that they conspire to make me feel I ought to be scared, I'm angry that I have to hesitate over getting involved in any anti-war activities, and I'm (entirely irrationally, I realize), angry that my brother had to deal with this horrible shock of bereavement when he's had such an awful year even without that. Not that being either angry or scared is tremendously useful to anyone, but there you go.