Ducking The Issue

I am becoming quite fed up at some of the nauseating double-speak surrounding the brutal murder of Drummer Lee Rigby - in Woolwich last week.

For example, the brother-in-law of Michael Adebelajo - who was filmed with blood on his hands at the scene of the crime - is reported as saying that Adebelajo may have been "pushed over the edge" by MI5 after his return to Britain.

After a botched attempt by Adebelajo and a group of freinds to join up with a terrorist group in Somalia, known as al-Shabaab, by crossing the country's border with Kenya.

Now call me stupid if you like, but I would have thought that Adebelajo was already 'well over the edge' when he was arrested by the Kenyan authorities - before he could sneak into Somalia to begin a new life as a terrorist with al-Shabaab.

But instead of facing up to that harsh reality - the unnamed brother-in-law simply ducks the issues and tries to shift the responsibility on to someone else - as if Adebelajo is somehow not responsible for his own actions.

A notion which seems completely preposterous - if you ask me.

And if that is what the unnamed brother-in-law is prepared to say on the record - when his views are being publicly reported - it makes you wonder what else this chap is saying when he is speaking privately and off the record.

Drunk drivers, serial burglars, rapists, child abusers and murderers all have at least one thing in common - they have a past and a life history which is probably a mixture of good and bad, like everyone else.

Yet when it comes to the people who commit these serious crimes - the truth is that the individuals concerned are all acting with free will - that no one else is responsible for their actions.  

So, please spare me all this business of people being compelled to take another human being's life - by some uncontrollable force - because it's all so dishonest, mealy-mouthed and pathetic.