To urinate on a war memorial is wrong - I think we can all agree with his statement.
To be photographed doing so the same week yet another group of young men were killed in Afghanistan is both wrong and particularly bad timing. Philip Laing the young man in the middle of this week’s outrage must now expected some form of custodial sentence.
It is so wrong on so many fronts it’s hard to see how he can avoid spending some time in jail.
His defense: he was drunk.
"No excuse" we all shout back at him in unison.
His lawyer has publically stated that "it's difficult to articulate just how embarrassed and ashamed this young man is".
"I bet he is" we all agree shaking our heads, safe in the knowledge it’s someone else.
I can understand the public outrage. I too feel outraged when I see a picture of a man, the same age as the men dying halfway around the world, pissing over the poppy wreath.
But I also feel sympathy, a sort of cringing sympathy, but sympathy nonetheless. The sort of sympathy where I can easily imagine myself in such a shameful position. Like watching someone being bullied and knowing it could very easily be me.
Who amongst us can honestly say they have not done something outrageous drunk? We don’t need to discuss the details but do we really believe that Philip is any different to the vast majority of people? I would like to add at this juncture, I have never pissed over a war memorial. A phonebox or two perhaps, a few hundred bushes definitely, the sea now and again and once ingeniously into a coke bottle on the late night bus, but no, never a war memorial.
No, Mr Laing had the serious misfortune to be photographed and he became well and truly fucked when the photograph found its way into a national newspaper.
I do not for one second believe that he feels such disregard for the fallen men and women that he is moved to piss on their memorial. He was drunk, did something very stupid and is now paying a heavy price for his stupidity.
Personally I would like to see the legal time & expense being directed at the organisations which are promoting such hedonistic binge drinking.
Student life is about drinking, partying, having fun, growing up and also, I have been lead to believe, education. This is a fact, but also all the students I know are very adept at drinking and partying, very cheaply. Allowing organisations like “Carnage” to promote their cheap, binges across our campuses is akin like giving rabbits IVF, welcome by the recipients, but clearly not necessary.
Surely allowing such organisations unfettered access to the student population is unnecessary and something which can be easily rectified, I cannot believe that banning them would take a serious amount of legislation.
Instead we simply hear well meaning people complaining and doing absolutely nothing about it.
To be photographed doing so the same week yet another group of young men were killed in Afghanistan is both wrong and particularly bad timing. Philip Laing the young man in the middle of this week’s outrage must now expected some form of custodial sentence.
It is so wrong on so many fronts it’s hard to see how he can avoid spending some time in jail.
His defense: he was drunk.
"No excuse" we all shout back at him in unison.
His lawyer has publically stated that "it's difficult to articulate just how embarrassed and ashamed this young man is".
"I bet he is" we all agree shaking our heads, safe in the knowledge it’s someone else.
I can understand the public outrage. I too feel outraged when I see a picture of a man, the same age as the men dying halfway around the world, pissing over the poppy wreath.
But I also feel sympathy, a sort of cringing sympathy, but sympathy nonetheless. The sort of sympathy where I can easily imagine myself in such a shameful position. Like watching someone being bullied and knowing it could very easily be me.
Who amongst us can honestly say they have not done something outrageous drunk? We don’t need to discuss the details but do we really believe that Philip is any different to the vast majority of people? I would like to add at this juncture, I have never pissed over a war memorial. A phonebox or two perhaps, a few hundred bushes definitely, the sea now and again and once ingeniously into a coke bottle on the late night bus, but no, never a war memorial.
No, Mr Laing had the serious misfortune to be photographed and he became well and truly fucked when the photograph found its way into a national newspaper.
I do not for one second believe that he feels such disregard for the fallen men and women that he is moved to piss on their memorial. He was drunk, did something very stupid and is now paying a heavy price for his stupidity.
Personally I would like to see the legal time & expense being directed at the organisations which are promoting such hedonistic binge drinking.
Student life is about drinking, partying, having fun, growing up and also, I have been lead to believe, education. This is a fact, but also all the students I know are very adept at drinking and partying, very cheaply. Allowing organisations like “Carnage” to promote their cheap, binges across our campuses is akin like giving rabbits IVF, welcome by the recipients, but clearly not necessary.
Surely allowing such organisations unfettered access to the student population is unnecessary and something which can be easily rectified, I cannot believe that banning them would take a serious amount of legislation.
Instead we simply hear well meaning people complaining and doing absolutely nothing about it.
How hard can it be, really?
What would the 'you' of your aged 16-23 youth and time with the royal navy say?
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