Some of them were wearing black

[dreamer_easy]

Worrying news item in today's SMH about a suicide pact between two teenagers. Worrying not because of the tragedy itself, but because of the headlining emphasis on their being Goths. In the mind of the newspaper, that outweighs police bungling which might have rescued the young woman, and hugely outweighs the trauma the young man had experienced, as murder witness and then murder suspect, which is the very last thing mentioned in the article. I'll bet a buck the result of the double suicide is not improved policing or mental health services, but the banning of black clothes at the school.

Comments

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

There's a very similar case here in which a teenager is being charged with the murder of a female lawyer. (my ADDled brain can't remember specifics right now, sorry...) Like every other case before it, it's naturally the media's tendency to accentuate the different appearance of the suspect and equate it with "bad" behaviour instead of focusing on the real issues at hand.

[zeusgirl.livejournal.com]

Quick correction: one teenager, one guy in his early 20s.

If you read today's article (http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/goth-suicides-docs-downgraded-teens-case/2005/10/27/1130367978676.html) it clearly states that DOCS downgraded the case, and didn't pass on information.

I agree, it's going to be the Goth culture that gets the blame for this, not DOCS's incompetence...

[gdwessel.livejournal.com]

Miranda looks absolutely adorable when she's Gothed out. Her latest ensemble includes a pumpkin'n'skull necklace and black jack-o-lantern tights