With the controversy surrounding the Woden Bus Interchange graffiti memorials to drowning victim Michael Steep I headed down to get a sense of what we’re talking about, which you can view in the slideshow below.
[If the slideshow doesn’t appear try here.]
I thought by way of contrast we should consider this:
[Photo Courtesy Between A Rock CC licence]
On the roll of honour at the War Memorial, which is a bit out of the way, the young men and women, some as young as Michael, who gave their lives in the service of this country get about 25 square centimetres, rather than three and a bit walls.
(Incidentally when the nutters catch up with me I think I’d quite like to be memorialised on the Woden Bus Interchange toilet door too, just saying)
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I personally am not a a fan of the location of this memorial however I still feel upset/angry at the way many other RiotAct readers are acting towards this young boy’s death. I understand that you simply feel it is not apporpiate however these are teenagers we are talking about and many of them have clearly been reading your responses to his memorial but just think for a second at how many people are simply labelling Michael and his friends Bogans and Rats. These are hurtful comments to 15/16 year olds who have just a lost a friend, which I can imagine is devastating. I am all for moving this memorial to a different location however I am NOT all for treating these young adults as dirt on the ground.
I thought graffiti on a public place was illegal. Fine those who were captured by the security cameras [If any exist]. Doesn’t matter why you defaced a wall, it’s still against the law. Does it mean if I lose a loved one I can do burnouts up and down the street? Can I go and paint their name on the steps of parliament house because that’s where we hung out? NO. A proper place for these things and the right attitude. Respect, not chaos. Grieving is a right, but I don’t agree that this helps their loss. It’s just a popularity contest to see who gets the most attention.
I think you are the only person that has put your point of view forward nicely without treated us like 4 year old’s, thank you for that but also these other people calling our friend/family member a Bogan that is just way too far. He doesn’t deserve that at all and we shouldn’t have to read that about him because it is extremely disrespectful. Yes vandalising public property is wrong but you have to understand that it is how we are coping with it all.
imissyou said :
contradictorious
you really don’t get it, do you?
imissyou said :
equally, if you don’t have anything legal to do, don’t do anything at all.
seriously kids, you are not the first to lose someone you love. you really aren’t. here’s an idea though – think about channeling your feelings of loss into something useful – for example value and treasure the time with your family and friends, make the most of the opportunities you have, and give something useful back to society (which you belong to, by the way) like volunteering for a charity – rather than all this oh so boring and passe teen angst rubbish. it’s been done before, it’s not original – and no we adults on here didn’t all do it, so we don’t condone it, and for your information losing a loved one is not a defence or reasonable excuse for committing crimes and abusing strangers. you’re not respecting your lost friend one iota by coming on here and ranting at people.
Did i ever say we were in the right! NO i didn’t. Simple don’t write your feeling all over the internet if you have nothing nice to say then don’t say it at all too bad you weren’t taught that one. As for your name ‘Pommy Bastard’ that is exactly what you are clearly your dad’s condom failed in that aspect.
imissyou said :
Just because you have chosen this way “to deal with it,” that doesn’t put you in the right.
Oh, and how do you “put your pity over someone else”?
Bogan Memorial? Seriously you are absolutely pathetic and extremely disrespectful. Have you ever grieved or lost someone, im sure you have. He had many friends and this is how we are choosing to deal with it if you dont like it then go put your pity over someone else and not the internet.
you mean you came south of the lake johnboy????
EvanJames said :
seconded.
EvanJames said :
What about plastic dolphins? Surely there needs to be some sort of holding tank for all the plastic dolphins?
Thumper said :
Exactly. This new public bogan grieving needs to be shut down.
We could suggest that they all get together and fundraise for a proper Bogan Memorial, which could feature individual walls for graffiti, and each could have sconces for holding cans of bourbon, candles and cheap stuffed toys. As each bogan met its maker through various misadventures, their friends could petition that they be allocated a wall, and their 100s of friends could be turned loose on it.
On the roll of honour at the War Memorial, which is a bit out of the way, the young men and women, some as young as Michael, who gave their lives in the service of this country get about 25 square centimetres, rather than three and a bit walls.
Well put JB. And these guys actually did something to get their 25 sqcm.
They must be so proud to see his friends step up and honour him in such a way.
“Forever the sickest kid”
God I want this on my tombstone.
Oh dear god! It’s “truly” for goodness sake.
I don’t know, kids these days…
I believe it is carnardly, and I know for a fact that it wasn’t there before they started writing on the wall.
So obviously someone has shown what they think of it, which I applaud them for.
wow, i would roll in my grave if someone wrote a tribute to me in a toilet.
The parents need to step in on this one and teach the kids how a memorial is done respectfully.
Oh god:
“Never forgotten! Never Sobah!”