OH yes, it's funny, for those few seconds before the utter depravity of the man hits like a belly kick; a little oriental face peeking over the lip of a poly bag with the caption Gary Glitter on his way home with a takeaway'. Black, tasteless, sick humour, yes - but a sacking offence?
OH yes, it's funny, for those few seconds before the utter depravity of the man hits like a belly kick; a little oriental face peeking over the lip of a poly bag with the caption Gary Glitter on his way home with a takeaway'. Black, tasteless, sick humour, yes - but a sacking offence?
Absolutely not. Some 15 staff at South Lanarkshire Council have already been fired over the image e-mailed around the council, others still face losing their jobs, final warnings or other disciplinary action.
Yet the officials wielding the axe are so politically correct they have missed the point.
The Glitter image does not make fun of his victims nor excuse his paedophilia: quite the opposite.
It is a double-edged sword which at first triggers mirth then makes the viewer cringe with shame at their laughter and the reality which lies behind the image: that anyone could treat children so badly.
It is the best of satire and social commentary.
Nor does it matter that some of those involved worked within child protection at offices in Rutherglen and Hamilton.
Frankly, I would loathe the job they do: damned if they take vulnerable kids into care, pilloried if they don't and a child is brutalised.
Look at the shock, shame and horror of the Baby P case where mistakes were made and fingers pointed at social workers who failed to save the toddler - no matter they were systematically and deliberately deceived by low cunning.
Sacking offence? Not so far, despite a baby dying.
Blame is so easy in hindsight. I can only imagine the stress, frustration and heartbreak of dealing day-in, day-out with families for whom violence and perversion are a way of life.
It is not a job I would wish and if gallows humour is part of the armour social workers wear to preserve their sanity, then they are welcome to it.
The sacked staff know only too well the reality behind the wit.
To smile at a faked picture of Gary Glitter does not demean victims or glorify the vile paedophile.
It is bittersweet reaction shared by just about every frontline profession from police to fire and ambulance crews... and yes, journalists too.
A council spokeswoman delivered the carefully crafted and outraged official view: "The image is totally inappropriate and represents a gross misuse of council e-mail."
Strong words on a fragile foundation. The power of the Glitter image lies in the fact it is so ordinary - just a guy walking through an airport departure lounge with a plastic bag.
The little girl's face is the afterthought which strikes hardest.
In firing staff, South Lanarkshire has played to the mob and its own sense of embarrassment rather than face the unacceptable truth of child abuse.
The late comedian Bernard Manning once stood up in his Manchester club, soon after the Falklands War ended and told the audience that two soldiers from the conflict were present.
As the crowd erupted in applause he said quietly: "They're Argentinians."
The audience got the message South Lanarkshire Council has missed.
