What exactly is today’s front page of the Townsville Bulletin, "Hilltop Hoodlums", on about – Yoof bashing running amok and old ladies in Yarrawonga, the Hilltop Hoods assault fans at their concert? Is the sub-heading “police nab 80 in blitz on drunks” referring to the size of this hoodlum menace?
Is the headline on the full story on page two, “Wasted Youth.” Implying that the hoodlum gang are all spaced-out on crack? No the sub-heading give its way: “Kids caught boozing at music concert” – drunken 12 year olds at the Hill Top Hoods concert or was the Carols by Candlelight??
The blatant sensationalism and yoof bashing in this trash piece by Jessica Johnson really annoys me for a number of reasons:
- My guess is that the 7 youths were in fact young people – most likely aged 17
- None of them were drunk – just drinking under age
- The real crime here was committed by those selling the alcohol to underage punters
- The article fails to report on the really ugly side of the 80 alcohol related charges made by the coppers on the weekend with the only reference to the real centre of alcohol related violence in Townsville – Flinders St East, home to so many of The Bully’s regular advertisers – a small pic of a whitefella passed out in the Street.
Post Script: I wonder how many families slipped their 17 year old a cold one from the esky at Carols by Candlelight last night?
Post Script #2: I recommend "Grog, crops and social control" by John Passant in The National Times
1 comment:
I was there.
That was a peaceful event. There was a great crowd that had a great time.
There was a big police presence. If there were uner-agers drinking someone wasn't doing their job...
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