In defence of Steve Brown vs "innocent lives were lost"
A few weeks ago, on Sinday January 13, 2008, the police went on an operation in Tivoli Gardens , Kingston, Jamaica. When it was over, five civilians, all men, lay dead and two security officers were injured. Since then, despite the repeat playing of the tape(s), persons continue to insist that the police, through Steve Brown their spokesperson, said that "innocent lives were lost."
Steve Brown never said innocent lives were lost. A news program carried on Television Jamaica, TVJ, was introduces with the a line "Five men where killed in an Operation in Tivoli Gardens, where Police are admitting that Innocent Men where killed".
Now is it sad that TVJ framed the whole news broadcast by saying something that the police never said. Even if it was said loosely by some police officer on the operation it was not an official statement and there is no record of it being said.
Steve Brown did say words along the line that it was regrettable that lives have been lost, but that is what happens when you take on the Police. Now the expression of regret might cause one to conceive that the men were innocent but not necessarily so. Any life lost, whether that of an alleged criminal or of an "outstanding and 'upstanding' citizens should be regretted. All humans beings have the right to life and every effort should be made to preserve life.
Therefore Steve Brown's expression of regret was not an implicit or explicit admission that men were innocent. TVJ said, the police said, the men where innocent but there was no statement from the police, from through Steve Brown, the official spokesperson, that said innocent lives where lost. People need to stop accusing the gentleman.
While I don't buy the police's story in entirety, I will say that Steve Brown did not say "innocent lives were lost". Those words "innocent lives where lost" was the creation of the TVJ newsroom.
The media needs to be very careful with the information that it presents as truth so that it does not propagate misinformation.
Steve Brown never said innocent lives were lost. A news program carried on Television Jamaica, TVJ, was introduces with the a line "Five men where killed in an Operation in Tivoli Gardens, where Police are admitting that Innocent Men where killed".
Now is it sad that TVJ framed the whole news broadcast by saying something that the police never said. Even if it was said loosely by some police officer on the operation it was not an official statement and there is no record of it being said.
Steve Brown did say words along the line that it was regrettable that lives have been lost, but that is what happens when you take on the Police. Now the expression of regret might cause one to conceive that the men were innocent but not necessarily so. Any life lost, whether that of an alleged criminal or of an "outstanding and 'upstanding' citizens should be regretted. All humans beings have the right to life and every effort should be made to preserve life.
Therefore Steve Brown's expression of regret was not an implicit or explicit admission that men were innocent. TVJ said, the police said, the men where innocent but there was no statement from the police, from through Steve Brown, the official spokesperson, that said innocent lives where lost. People need to stop accusing the gentleman.
While I don't buy the police's story in entirety, I will say that Steve Brown did not say "innocent lives were lost". Those words "innocent lives where lost" was the creation of the TVJ newsroom.
The media needs to be very careful with the information that it presents as truth so that it does not propagate misinformation.
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