Telling it as it seems . . .

The police didn’t kill anybody at Hillsborough; they didn’t crush anybody; they didn’t smother anybody.  Their panicked reactions in the face of an unfolding catastrophe at the turnstiles contributed to what happened.  Yet they did not actually kill anybody.  It was the press of Liverpool supporters forcing their way in from outside that killed the other Liverpool supporters who died.

    Likewise, it might seem, with the tragedy at Cookstown.  The people arrested—and I know nothing about them or who they are—certainly didn’t set out to deliberately create the terrible events that occurred.  Indeed, all the radio and TV coverage indicate that this was a venue that was well-practised in holding dances and celebrations and events, so that unless some major malfeasance is discovered in the course of police investigations, the real reason for what happened must be looked for elsewhere.

    If the proprietors, staff or whoever—and, again, failing evidence of some major malfeasance or negligence on their parts—are at this stage to be held guilty of anything it is arguably of not having a crystal ball.

    Let’s not forget that venues such as this are usually subject to stringent safety laws and regular safety inspections by the relevant authorities.

    And let us not also forget that tragedies are rarely forecastable in advance; it is usually in only hindsight that they become apparent.

    The strange thing here, as with Hillsborough, is the apparent failure in advance to factor in even the most obvious of scenarios, a failure that seems representative of a certain peculiar type of mindset.