Alfie Evans - More tragedy exploited?

[SusanDoris]

The money spent on those balloons would have been much more use if donated to a children's charity.

Exactly what I thought. But no, bits of film and photos can now be put out on social media . And, being even more grumpy old woman, I shall add what about the litter caused by those balloons?

[Steve H]

The money spent on those balloons would have been much more use if donated to a children's charity.

I was about to criticise the balloon release as sentimentalism, but then I read this joyless, self-righteous load of arse-dribble and changed my mind.

[Rhiannon]

I was about to criticise the balloon release as sentimentalism, but then I read this joyless, self-righteous load of arse-dribble and changed my mind.

It’s the environmental angle that bothers me, nothing else. People are free to spend their money as they wish. But the chances are wildlife will die as a result of this, aside from the eyesore of deflated helium balloons littering the countryside. And some will probably end up in the sea where they will cause who knows what damage. 

[Steve H]

YAWN!

The usual adolescent reply.

[Steve H]

I don't use CAPITALS and lots of exclamation marks, at least!!!!

[Steve H]

Agreed.

[Robbie]

I thought it was quite charming. Yes people could've given the money spent to charity, no doubt some will make donations anyway but they were free to spend their money as they wished & I doubt the few balloons cost that much. They looked lovely. Some of Alfie's  'supporters' have been dubious but not all, there would have been plenty of people there who just sympathised with his parents & were glad his struggle was over.

[Rhiannon]

I thought it was quite charming. Yes people could've given the money spent to charity, no doubt some will make donations anyway but they were free to spend their money as they wished & I doubt the few balloons cost that much. They looked lovely. Some of Alfie's  'supporters' have been dubious but not all, there would have been plenty of people there who just sympathised with his parents & were glad his struggle was over.

It really isn’t about the money. But there is nothing ‘charming’ about hedgehogs and birds getting their legs entangled in the balloon string, deflated balloons polluting the countryside or ending up in the stomach of a seal. We understand about the problems of plastic littering the natural environment now, there’s no excuse. Social media being what it is, people will copy this because it’s ‘pretty’. I wasn’t going to comment further but actually destructive behaviour like this makes me angry.

[Robbie]

I get that Rhiannon & it isn't something I would do myself but I understood why it was done. Not everyone thinks these things out, their awareness has to be raised. What I thought was a little mean was the idea that people don't see that charities can be supported as well as a few other, more indulgent, things, in memorium. It was kindly meant even if misguided.

[Free Willy]

Letting off so many balloons was a crazy and pointless thing to do, imo.  As has been pointed out the balloons will add to the litter problem, and could be an environmental issue.

What? like Dawkins giving his blessing to an Atheist poster on the side of a Bus and sending the big stinking diesel powered juggernaut (that's the Bus not atheism) round London to pollute all and sundry?

[Robbie]

What's done is done - & isn't a pity that we can't undo things but that's life I'm afraid.

I'm in agreement with LR & StephenH in hoping Alfie's parents will eventually move on & have another child who does not have degenerative brain disease; no reason why not from what I've read but they are very young & young couples often don't stay the course. This experience has been so life changing for them, I wish them well.

[Harrowby Hall]

I can see that to someone who doesn't first think about the consequences of some spontaneous actions the balloon fest would appear to some superficial charm about it. But only a few weeks after David Attenborough opened the nation's eyes to the problem of plastic waste in the oceans, hundreds of people deposit even more plastic waste into the environment. And in addition squander a gas which is in scarce supply and cannot be replenished.

This is what appeared in the Guardian six years ago :

https://www.theguardian.com/science/shortcuts/2012/dec/11/should-we-ban-helium-balloons

But something else has also caught my attention. A Facebook entry appearing under the name of Brent Bozell, yesterday at 15.58 (French time - perhaps 14.58 BST)

"The world cared more about Cecil the lion than British toddler Alfie Evans being starved to death at the order of the government. And Brittany M Hughes knew the unfortunate reason why more people are aware of this disturbing and inhuman situation unfolding."

A video insert is then followed by 1,649 comments, almost every single one condemning the NHS or British government  for murdering an innocent child - using this as an example to condemn the evil of socialised medicine with its death panels. I have not chosen to read them all - doubt my sanity would survive - but I recall at least one which seemed to suggest that Donald Trump takes up the matter when he visits the United Kingdom.

Oh ... and Cecil's death was perfectly lawful.

[Robbie]

I hadn't heard of Cecil the Lion, sure I would have cared about him but not more than a small, sick child. I am aware of the problems with helium balloons but imagine many of Alfie Evans's 'supporters' would not have been, nor watched the Attenborough programme. Could be wrong about that! All I say is let's not be too harsh towards people who mean well albeit rather naive. In future, more must be made of the danger we post to the environment with some of our antics. When people have their eyes opened, they do change their attitudes and habits.

[Harrowby Hall]

Clarification

I should have written

Oh ... and Cecil's death was "perfectly lawful".

Cecil was a lion in Zimbabwe whose behaviour was being studied by scientists from Oxford who was shot first by crossbow and then a gun by an American dentist on a hunting holiday.

[Rhiannon]

I hadn't heard of Cecil the Lion, sure I would have cared about him but not more than a small, sick child. I am aware of the problems with helium balloons but imagine many of Alfie Evans's 'supporters' would not have been, nor watched the Attenborough programme. Could be wrong about that! All I say is let's not be too harsh towards people who mean well albeit rather naive. In future, more must be made of the danger we post to the environment with some of our antics. When people have their eyes opened, they do change their attitudes and habits.

It’s actually rather patronising to think that the people supporting Alfie don’t watch Attenborough or understand about plastic pollution. Do you think that they also leave their plastic picnic stuff on the beach and toss takeaway wrappers onto roundabouts? Looking at the sea of purple plastic there it’s hard to believe that nobody even considered that they were creating litter if nothing else. But as with disrupting the lives of medical staff and patients at the hospital, consideration for anyone other than themselves went out of the window long ago for too many people involved in this campaign. I think even Alfie and his family were beyond their consideration a lot of the time.

[Robbie]

OK, point taken. I don't know any of the people personally, was trying to think the best of them. Will say no more on this, it's over.

[Rhiannon]

OK, point taken. I don't know any of the people personally, was trying to think the best of them. Will say no more on this, it's over.

I do get where you are coming from. As the marvellous Jane Marple once said, ‘Most people, you know, are neither good nor bad, but really, very silly. ‘

[Rhiannon]

Useful intervention from Cardinal Nichols.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/may/01/archbishop-hits-out-at-political-aims-of-some-alfie-evans-campaigners