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PC Keith Palmer is the cop who was murdered by Khalid Masood in the Westminster Attack on March 22nd, after he drove into several people at speed on Westminster Bridge.
It’s been said he “laid down his life” when he didn’t at all – he was a victim who was stabbed by a mad man, who may or may not have been acting in the name of Islamic State. And as I understand it, had Theresa May not scrapped the Westminster gun-toting guards, some time ago, PC Keith Palmer would most likely not be dead.
If you’d seen BBC Breakfast* this morning, you’d think it was the only game in town as it dominated the headlines on the hour from the start. Personally, I’d have put Donald Trump starting World War III with Syria at the top, as he sent across 59 cruise missiles in their direction over the weekend. With Assad defending (and lying) about gassing his own people, the potential ramifications are horrendous.
(*I did have a glance at Good Morning Britain on ITV, but when I changed channels, they were too busy on an old story interviewing the Joe McGrath who went on holiday with people he’d never met before).
Looking on Twitter today, the whole situation in London is starting to go the way of Princess Diana. Every November 11th we rightly have a two-minute silence in honour of those who have fallen during the wars. I attribute that to include all of those that have fallen in the time since, for whatever reason. To add on a random two-minute silence today, or a one-minute one the week after the Westminster attack, just seems to dilute the main one.
Similar, there are many people on Twitter calling him a “hero”. I don’t know him at all so I cannot make that assessment. However, it’s a blanket tribute drafted out in times like this.
Whatever your view of the police, the death of PC Keith Palmer is a tragedy, but the media have made this look like a State Funeral. Let’s not forget that many thousands of people die and we never get to learn their name at all. Similarly, many adults and children go missing, but if you believed the media, you’d think that Madeleine McCann was the only one.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.