Leicestershire Social Services petition against the McCanns is a class hate campaign?

Question

I fee it is becoming a class issue to a lot of people. I think it is a trait many British have, to detest others' success so much that they take pleasure in their misfortunes, no matter what form that takes. The petitioners think that had Mr & Mrs Chav done the same to their little Waynetta in Torremolinos they suspect there would be no hesitation on the part of their Local social services.

This is not about the rights and wrongs. It is about the petition against them. What motivates people to sign it?

babysham,
You missed my point and you got personal.

CT,
Fickle opinion!

anna,
then leave it to the law!

constance,
"The Petition is simply about the worry for the remaining two Mccann children"

You want them to be taken away?

Answer 1

No I don't personally think it is a class hate campaign. I don't care how little or how much money another person has. I just will not condone child neglect.

Edit*Anchor Cranker .. I am definitely one parent who has never left my child alone..call me over protective but I would rather my child be safe then left alone unsupervised.

Answer 2

I don't think it is a class issue for those signing the petition, I just think they are using the argument that if the parents had been lower class or a single parent or possibly even from a different racial group then the press may have treated them differently.

I am (apparently) upper-middle class, not sure if I agree with that, but so what, and I have signed the petition. My main reason in signing it is because I really feel that the parents were negligent in leaving three young children in an unlocked room and only checking on them occasionally when there waas the possibilty of free childcare. I think social services will choose to investigate based on the facts of the case, not based on a petition, but I still feel it is important to show that I disagree with the way the parents acted and for it to be recognised that no decent parent should do this to their children.

Answer 3

There is class bias in the media which is what some people are responding to and also genuine feeling that the disappearance was not inevitable but preventable...

There is also criticism of the parents behaviour after the abduction and their constant denial of the fact that as parents if they had provided adequate care this still would have happened..Mr McCann saying that if he was inthe bedroom next door she may still be have taken (but he wasnt so well never know) and also that the restaurant was in proximity of the house ...despite the fact there is a large hotel swimming pool in between the kids and themselves...

The whole point of being near your children is that you know or find out when things have happened and can respond and prevent (care) ...could they have heard a fire? would Gerry have still said the same thing...we were close and a fire is a one in a million chance of happening...

So in addition to their high profile campaign which would have been cut short and looked totally bizarre if the girl had been found in a shallow grave there is their seemingly lack of there is something wrong here and that partly we helped this situation ...an admmission that would have come very normal to most people...

The McCanns have controlled the media and critical of it through mistakes or assumptions in reporting and have used the media who are sympathetic to their own advantage but what about a normal message here that could be put across about the situation rather than their interests.. They have been staged managed and helped beyond belief that this is no more a celebrity version of the family of the disappeared..

But the normal emotions expressed in drips and drabs have come rather late and to my belief in response to criticism which isnt very genuine...

You may ask why are we so critical of parents in this situation ..how would we know what they are going through and I say to you this isnt about them but their daughter....

Yes I hope she is found alive and this agony ceases but then wont be the end of it as per normal the TV have eyed up the
possibility of a TV programme ...the catalyst of the media for the McCanns...

I havent signed the petition because I believe that at the end of the day our government will not intervene but an independent minded police body may take action and so may social services...but I do understand why people may feel if they didnt sign then nothing at all would happen and so the petition is to represent the number of people who have expressed concerns in the absence of media concern..

I do not understand why in evident of the problems with the case and the fact that this case is missing white woman syndrome people accuse petitioners of class bias when the real culprit is a conservative right wing media.........

Answer 4

My boys have all grown up. When they were young my wife and I NEVER left them alone. However it was done and cannot be undone so surely the thinking should be about the child. I wasn't aware that Leicestershire Social Services had set up a petition but I agree they wouldn't have , had the parents been Mr. and Mrs. Chav. And look at the appalling history of social workers back to Maria Caldwell in about 1967 up to date. They are obviously better at setting up vindictive petitions.

Answer 5

Somebody asks if the McCann children should be taken away [ if they EVER return the the UK ].

Futile question really. lf the McCann parents leave their kids alone, ON holiday, then what have they been getting away with while they HAVE been at home.

Upon their return, their twins should be placed in secure home until the McCann's promise a court that they will undergo parenting skills - ANYONE can be a mother or father - but being a GOOD one is another dimension!!!! l pray for Maddy each day that she is safe and unharmed.

Answer 6

The class issue is that they would not have had the media attention, nor the relatively easy ride from the media in terms of lack of criticism of their atrocious act of child neglect if instead of being a 2 parent family of white doctors, Kate had been a single parent, black, jobless mum. If they had been in such a situation, do you really have any doubt at all that Social Services would ensure they were involved? Do you really think that there would not have been vitriolic headlines about Kate's inadequacies? Do you really think that Philip Green would have offered his private jet, or that there would have been the yellow ribbons being worn by all and sundry sports stars - of course there wouldn't have been. The publicity has followed because they are not a chav family, but the Social Services should treat them in the same way as any family who neglected their children would be.
And before you ask, I am a white lawyer so this is nothing to do with detesting the success of others.

Answer 7

I have to chuckle over all this insanity. People are attacking and defending the McCanns and hurling abuse at each other thinking that the topic is a major one. Fair enough a girl going missing is important but the parents going to court is irrelevant. There are people crying out that they should be punished or how terrible it would be if they had their other children taken away. If they were prosecuted they would receive a fine. Having children taken away if for people who ignore a warning and continue to endanger their children or have badly abused a child. So why all the squabbling over a pitiful fine? The McCanns will not be punished with prison or have their children taken away so stop blowing things out of all proportion. It's getting ridiculous.

Answer 8

If social services do act it does not mean automatically that the McCann's children will be taken off them. They will first of all be assesed to see whether they are at any risk, this means talking to the parents, listening to witnesses etc. If the children are placed on the 'at risk' register it means social services will keep a close eye on them and make sure they are not being neglected (left alone whilst parents go out drinking etc) and then decide what action is best to take. Most of the time social services will advise parents on correct parenting etc.

Secondly, I couldnt care whether they are doctors or on the dole, they neglected their children and that is what needs to be dealt with. They put their children in danger, even before I found out they were doctors I couldnt believe someone would do this.

Thirdly, the main thing is that I hope Madeliene is found safe and well, but this will be no thanks to her parents

Answer 9

My answer is essentially a 'NO' but it is not quite as simple as you appear to be intimating. Others have elaborated on their answers so I will not repeat what I and many others are tired of explaining. Shakespeare's answer (above) also has a lot of merit to it. If you can't see it by now (and I am aware that you have been a contributor in this debate for some considerable time now) the likelihood is ''you ain't never gonna see it, pal!''

According to UNICEF (the U.N. children's fund), 1.2 million children are trafficked every year around the world.

Can you believe that the figure is so high? How many of those missing kids can you name?

Why?

What do you think are the reasons that Madeleine is so different from all those other children?

Each day many people pray for Madeleine AND ALL missing children to be found safe.

You don't like the petition - so don't sign it.

More and more people DO agree with the petition. Read the wording on the petition - yes, I know you will say that you have read it - but READ IT AGAIN. The reasons for the petition are CLEARLY STATED ON THERE.

Make your own mind up.

Please also allow others to make THEIR own minds up.

Thanks.
.

Answer 10

Yes but the fact still remains that this absolutely is a class issue isn't it? Because had Mr & Mrs Chav been out playing bingo and little Waynetta was left alone then there is absolutely no doubt in my mind they would be labelled irresponsible parents. You could understand it perhaps if Mr & Mrs Chav said they were 'a little naive' but two educated doctors and the words 'a little naive' don't really add up.

Answer 11

...................well perhaps the other kids should be taken away!!! (who is looking after them now?) I have no sympathy for parents who leave their children ALONE to go boozing/drinking/eating or whatever!!! Imagine if all 3 kids had been taken!? They should be punished for their negligence other people have been punished for less!!! Is is because they are doctors? How many other kids have gone missing and their hasn't been this mad media circus of Maddy this and Maddy that, and look at us running of the beach, look at us being sad..... its sick and visit to the Pope!!??? I feel so sorry for the child for if she HAD NOT BEEN LEFT ALONE it would never have happened!!?????? Where is all that money going? Holidays etc!! I thought it WAS against the LAW to leave any child ALONE let alone 3!!!!!!!!!!!