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Twitter is the Pen in Your Hand

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Bradford City police have launched an investigation into a series of tweets made by people claiming to be Birmingham City fans on the social media site, Twitter.

The Valley Parade tragedy caused 56 deaths among Bradford fans and it`s a heartfelt event within the city. Losing life is always tough and it becomes abundantly more galvanising when those victims share a common interest or characteristic shall we say.

In this case you aren`t just one person passing, you`re a part of something and that emotionally stimulates people. With that said, it makes it all the more disgusting to trivialise and abuse such a topic with people affiliated with the event.

I`m a big believer in saying what you like, you are a free person. But so is the person next to you, and you have no right to impact on someone else`s wellbeing and that includes their mental health. To intentionally provoke ill feelings is to willing inflict harm on another person.

One of the remarks made is reported to have wished the whole city go up in flames.

Birmingham City are cooperating with the police and have passed on details to them, to aid the investigation into these tweets. It requires cooperation from all walks of life to help limit the infliction of this abusive fad.

Whether saying something to someone`s face, to their friend (knowing it will get back to them) or on a social networking site, it is hurtful and wrong. The only difference is the people committing the offence think they are not accountable, well you are. This kind of thing will never stop but it does need to be responded too.

Twitter themselves have refused to actively pursue users of its platform, instead there is a complaints protocol to which you can report abuse. Which I can totally understand; they need to protect their users. Arguably it is not their job to protect you being on the site.

Why should twitter be pro-active? you join the site, you use it, you abuse it. see the common factor here? its the users! That is like asking the referee to get in the stands and tell a fan he can’t have the lid to his coke bottle. There are more reasonable powers at be to deal with that sort of thing (what I mean is the police, sorry if I have lost you there.

I can see Twitter giving in to all this pressure from celebrities, asking for increased protection because they are someone different from the man on the street.

We are human beings with working minds and food for thought, this is what makes us great. Protect yourself against saying hurtful things and in the event someone does it to you, record it and if it repeats, call the police.

Stan Collymore recently deleted his twitter account over Twitters refusal to act; TalkSport have also withdrawn their twitter promotions. TalkSport are supporting their staff, I get that, but they are asking a commercially set up business to police people`s rights and freedoms? What on earth is that all about, talk about jumping off a cliff with a carrier back tied to your back!

Collymore is not the only one, Beth Tweddle has been subjected to terrible abuse and that is what it is – terrible.

The club statement reads:

“As soon as the offensive tweets were brought to the football club`s attention relevant details were promptly passed on to West Midlands Police.

Birmingham City Football Club will not tolerate such behaviour and will continue to assist the police with their investigation.”


I ask you as readers of this site to respect the people around you; every single person has something to say. Don`t be afraid of a difference of opinion and then resort to abusing someone on the point of a difference between the two of you, just resort to reasoned argument to articulate your point, who knows, maybe you were actually wrong for a change, who would have thought it.

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