Privileged Pain

I think the Guardian editorial (so not actually reporting) was really crass & offensive. They did the right thing in taking it down and apologising although it shouldn't have been published in the first place.
However, Cameron did attempt to silence a lot of parents with disabled children and disabled people by mentioning his son in a political context which I think was very wrong and very cynical. He didn't just do that once, either.

His austerity policies hit disabled people much harder than any other group. Not just causing hardship but causing deaths.

I'm disabled, as is my husband. As it happens we weren't directly affected as neither of us were on benefits but I know plenty of people that were affected very badly (and still are).

The narrative about 'scroungers & fakers' and the big rise in disabled people being physically attacked & abused is not a coincidence. My husband (who has been totally blind since his O Levels) has been abused on the street and the worst was someone deliberately getting their dog to attack his guide dog. Luckily there were witnesses who intervened.

Political narratives have serious consequences.

Decent people, no matter what their political persuasion, would not mention privilege, wealth / money being factors which ease the agony of the loss of a child - ever.

If we turn it around and say that the Daily Mail, a right wing paper, had suggested it was ‘privileged pain’ when Gordon Brown lost his daughter and was uncaring about low paid people having the 10% tax bracket withdrawn, would that be ok?

Of course not! And it’s not ok when it’s the Guardian doing so with David Cameron either - decent people know that.

I nevertheless think it's inappropriate and very wrong to try and minimise or suggest that a death of a child is more bearable if the parents are wealthy

Yes, I agree TerriBull

It was crass for a Guardian journalist to write so cruelly about wealth and the death of a beloved child in the same paragraph. I agree with lemon that recent left wing damnation of the wealthy seems to know no bounds in it's contempt.

This example cannot be justified in any way. It's beyond the pale.

Then best you address your comments to the poster who did
bring politics into the thread ilovecheese

anniebach I didn't. I addressed lemongrove, then you said that politics was mentioned earlier, so I thought you were referring to your own post at 11.49.

Then why ilovecheese did you accuse me of bringing politics into this thread ? It was notanan posted at 11.43 this morning,

Or of course there is the Daily Mail if you prefer.

Lots of pearl clutching going on here. As I understand it the Guardian recognised their crass reporting and apologised.

Now would anyone like to grab their pearls at the Suns behaviour? They have refused to apologise.

No it darn well isn’t Ilovecheese....it’s completely relevant and explains why the journo wrote it.

I wrote a post in support of David Cameron on another thread which was critical of his talking about his grief. But as I said before, it is wrong to score political points over this, whether in the article or on here, in my opinion.

Of course politics comes into it! You don’t seriously think the journalist was a Conservative voter do you?
It’s the politics of envy, the ‘ look, he’s a toff, so he doesn't deserve the same level ( or any level) of sympathy or empathy.’
I did think the Guardian was better than that, but obviously not.

Oh downtoearth, I'm so sorry your experiences are unbearable.

I can see this thread has opened a can of worms and I take the point that some have made, poverty exacerbates an already heartbreaking experience, in having to deal with the necessary financial expenses that are incurred with the death of a close relative.

The point I was making, grief cannot be assuaged by money, although of course the tragedy of death for a loved one is further compounded by the lack of it, in dealing with the aftermath. I nevertheless think it's inappropriate and very wrong to try and minimise or suggest that a death of a child is more bearable if the parents are wealthy. I always remember my husband had a client who was also a very good friend. He and his wife had a daughter who died aged 9 after a long illness. They even went on to have another child after that. The death of their child affected them in different ways, the father lost his religion, the mother, in spite of having two other children, thereafter was literally mad with grief and depression, she simply couldn't get past that, they had plenty of money it didn't help. Sadly it split them up.

I don't think anyone who has never lost a child should speculate, or try and interpret the feelings of someone who has.

Ilovecheese I did not bring politics into this , you must have skipped posts which did.

Why would he have brought Gordon Brown into it? Gordon Brown had not just released his memoirs.
Annibach why try to make political capital at all over this article? That is, in my opinion, just as bad as making a political point in the article. If you think it was wrong of the journalist, then it is just as wrong here.

If it wasn’t about partisan politics, Ilovecheese, then the journalist would have Gordon Brown’s bereavement and ‘privileged pain’ into the equation.

Politics was brought into it before lemon posted

downtoearthand I think thats all "notanan" was saying ,the grief is compounded by the worry ,the lack of finance the other children listening to their mother crying because she cant do more .Shame some took it the wrong wayNobody says money takes away grief but like many other aspects of life NOT having the money for a simple funeral or something to take a childs mind off a death or crying yourself to sleep because you couldn't afford the things they needed just makes life harder .My heart goes out to you when you lose a child the first thing you do is blame yourself even when there were enough funds for necessities,how much more difficult when you didn't .Maybe you should talk to someone about it ,its never too late .

downtoearth That is dreadful to hear. My heart goes out to you.

lemongrove Is it really appropriate to bring politics up, in order to make a nasty remark about socialists?

I am so sorry downtoearth

I see you have not personally lost a child notanan no, but I have listened to anger towards DC expressed by some who have.

And I can understand why they feel that way.

And others may not feel that way
The experience of others is not first hand experience.

I would have and still would give everything I have ever owned to have one day back with my child. 35 years later it still affects me and his sisters.

I agree, a rogue journo....possibly one of those kind caring socialists we hear so much about.

I think it must have been a rogue journo put the article out, though how it got past editing I can't imagine. So unlike the Guardian.

Speaks for itself that money makes no difference to the loss of a child, of course.