Jimmy Savile headstone removed.

In response to recent allegations coming to light, Jimmy Saviles headstone has now been removed.

Regardless of what he has done in life, I believe everyone deserves dignity in death. I feel uneasy knowing after I have passed, that my reputation could be brought into disrepute, without the chance to defend it.

I also think that its wrong for any crimes that he may have committed should not be investigated. Because he has not got the opportunity to defend it. This campaign against him is simply left wing opportunism. It is wrong on every level. Also don't forget the lifetime of good work that he has done, which as well all know is a matter of fact.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/an-unmarked-grave-jimmy-saviles-elaborate-tombstone-to-be-brokenup-and-sent-to-landfill-after-family-remove-it-out-of-respect-to-public-opinion-8204795.html

Reply 1

Kiss

2

I don't think public opinion should get a say in who's gravestones get kept and who's don't. It wasn't simply a memorial to him as a public figure but to one for his family and friends, and they are the ones I feel most sorry for.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 2

Discombobulate

His family are the ones who requested it to be removed, so go take it up with them.

Reply 3

rlw31

12

Original post by Kiss

I don't think public opinion should get a say in who's gravestones get kept and who's don't. It wasn't simply a memorial to him as a public figure but to one for his family and friends, and they are the ones I feel most sorry for.

Why? They were the ones who decided to remove it.

Reply 4

democracyforum

4

This BBC pedophile gang is also connected to the Labour 25.

Quite scary.

Reply 5

TheHistoryStudent

11

Original post by rlw31

Why? They were the ones who decided to remove it.

Yes but it was out of respect for (changing) public opinion they said. I guess we have to make of that what we will...

On topic though, I think it's right that the police are investigating the claims now that it seems to be many coming forward about it - even if just one person came forward it would be important to investigate it due to the seriousness of the allegation. To be fair, since there were apparently rumours about it in his life-time, it should have been investigated then, but obviously it didn't happen. Arguably now that he has died it is easier to investigate, due to the influence he had when he was alive and could as the OP said defend himself. Just because you are respected by the community does not make you above the law, in life or death, and it seems to me at least, that during his life, by fair means or foul, he was effectively above the law in this matter, due to his reputation and influence. Since they couldn't (or wouldn't) investigate it then, it seems right that they should do so now in light of the allegations resurfacing.

Reply 6

JGHunter

Well, I for one am sick of headstones getting away with sexual child abuse, I'm glad it was destroyed. It'll be a warning to the others. It's been a stain on the reputation of headstones, mainly because people are so lithoist 'all headstones look the same!' But you can't engrave all headstones with the same chisel!

Reply 7

Clare~Bear

15

Original post by dj1015

I also think that its wrong for any crimes that he may have committed should not be investigated. Because he has not got the opportunity to defend it. This campaign against him is simply left wing opportunism.

If it was only him that would get into trouble then yes I agree with you, it's pointless investigating it. But if it can be proven that others knew about it and didn't say anything to the police can't they get in trouble for perverting the course of justice or something?

How is it left wing opportunism?

Reply 8

Kiss

2

Original post by rlw31

Why? They were the ones who decided to remove it.

Not all of his friends agreed according to the BBC. And its the principle of what the public opinion sways to - we don't have headstones to hitler because it could offend people, but in a less extreme case we could have a headstone of someone who allegedly killed someone in the past removed and then years later discover it wasn't him at all. Public opinion shouldn't dictate personal aspects such as a gravestone for someone - its actually pretty pathetic.

Reply 9

Porra boceta

its a conspiracy by the liberal commie freedom hatin socialists i tells ya! :woo:

Reply 10

rlw31

12

Original post by TheHistoryStudent

Yes but it was out of respect for (changing) public opinion they said. I guess we have to make of that what we will...

Yeah, but the guy that I quoted said that he doesn't think 'public opinion should get a say in who's gravestones get kept and who's don't.' and it hasn't, no one in the public eye nor people in general had called for his gravestone to be removed. His family saw that he's not well liked by the public anymore and decided to remove his headstone, there was never any public say in what happens to his gravestone.

Reply 11

moonkatt

19

Original post by Clare~Bear

How is it left wing opportunism?

Because OP disagrees with it. Everything he disagrees with is some sort of pinko lefty conspiracy.

Reply 12

Jack93o

15

''done out of respect for public opinion'' = done because theres a high chance it would get defaced/vandalized

Reply 13

rlw31

12

Original post by rlw31

Yeah, but the guy that I quoted said that he doesn't think 'public opinion should get a say in who's gravestones get kept and who's don't.' and it hasn't, no one in the public eye nor people in general had called for his gravestone to be removed. His family saw that he's not well liked by the public anymore and decided to remove his headstone, there was never any public say in what happens to his gravestone.

Original post by Kiss

Not all of his friends agreed according to the BBC. And its the principle of what the public opinion sways to - we don't have headstones to hitler because it could offend people, but in a less extreme case we could have a headstone of someone who allegedly killed someone in the past removed and then years later discover it wasn't him at all. Public opinion shouldn't dictate personal aspects such as a gravestone for someone - its actually pretty pathetic.

See above.

Family usually have rights to what happens with the grave, so his friends opinions aren't really important at all. Once again, public opinions didn't call for his headstone to be removed. His family removed it of their own accord, no one else asked for it to be removed.

It seems that his family decided to remove it due to his losing popularity with the public, that's not the same as the public "dictating personal aspects such as a gravestone". :rolleyes:

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 14

TheHistoryStudent

11

Original post by rlw31

Yeah, but the guy that I quoted said that he doesn't think 'public opinion should get a say in who's gravestones get kept and who's don't.' and it hasn't, no one in the public eye nor people in general had called for his gravestone to be removed. His family saw that he's not well liked by the public anymore and decided to remove his headstone, there was never any public say in what happens to his gravestone.

No, I know :smile:

- I was merely explaining why (as far as I knew anyway) they decided to remove it, which was because of (or what they felt to be) public opinion. Whether or not any public voice was actually heard before the decision was made is another question - but perhaps they were acting pre-emptively and doing something they thought they'd be compelled to do anyway in the future.

(although again, we have to make of that what we will... honestly, despite what he's done, I'm not sure I like the idea of removing head-stones just because the person underneath it has fallen out of favour, even if they committed horrific crimes. Even though it doesn't matter because the person is dead, it makes no difference to what they did in life, and really is a pointless affair)...

Reply 15

gustavus

13

Good it's removed....cannot.then become place of baying mob graffiti....

But believe should.he thoroughly investigated. Abuse never takes place in vacuum...others may still be alive and.continuing to abuse...they should he found and. Prosecuted.

Also to not investigate would mean those women's' stories would not be believed...as they were originally when they came forward when.he was alive!

Reply 16

username306617

14

Original post by Jack93o

''done out of respect for public opinion'' = done because theres a high chance it would get defaced/vandalized

This.

The plaque on his former home has already been vandalised so it was only a matter of time before people did something to the grave.
That's not fair on the families of other people buried in the grave yard if there are going to be angry mobs and a media circus tramping about.

I think they made the right call.

Reply 17

Kiss

2

Original post by rlw31

See above.

Family usually have rights to what happens with the grave, so his friends opinions aren't really important at all. Once again, public opinions didn't call for his headstone to be removed. His family removed it of their own accord, no one else asked for it to be removed.

It seems that as his family decided to remove due to his losing popularity with the public, that's not the same as the public "dictating personal aspects such as a gravestone". :rolleyes:

Form of peer pressure??? I'm sure I wouldn't be happy to find out someone in my family was a paedophile but if they were I wouldn't just cave in to taking down any past memorials. And I doubt that they didn't receive any public call for it to be removed.

Reply 18

JGHunter

More seriously they probably removed it becaude of the consequences of public opinion, rather than public opinion itself. If public opinion was hostile to me for something that wasn't true, or even something that was but was my own interest I'd tell 'em to go suck a lemon. Now, public opinion may bring harm upon me or my family, so I might leave the country. Doesn't mean I care about what they think. That is probably, most likely, the reason it was done.

Reply 19

lanky2610

2

I don't really see the point in this...

He's already dead! You can't dig him up and put him on trial. Anyway why didn't this mainly come up while he was still alive? There would have been a better chance of prosecution.

(edited 11 years ago)

Jimmy Savile headstone removed.

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