Pedophile or ‘Puppylove’

Brent Jessop - Knowledge Driven Revolution.com
July 13, 2007

This article illustrates an example of how propaganda can be presented subtly. Effective propaganda does not have to be dressed up in slogans, cheering crowds and reassuring double think. Most propaganda that is aimed at behaviour or value modification is done on a more subtle level. Situations that are emotional are presented as horrible but not for the reason that it should be. The topic will be presented in such a manner that the element that should be the focus of the outrage is relegated to a minor or even insignificant role. With repetition, that previously strongly held value gets eroded or distorted and can eventually even be reversed.

The example is an article by the Canadian Press called “Girl’s dark relationship at heart of triple murder case in Medicine Hat”. For those who don’t know, it is about the tragic case of a 12 year old girl and her 23 year old boyfriend who killed the girl’s parents and little brother.

This is a complicated and absolutely horrible situation filled with deeply felt emotions. The article written by the Canadian Press was about the relationship between a 12 year old girl and her disturbed adult boyfriend. Let’s take a look at how the Canadian Press analysed this relationship.

The conviction of a 13-year-old Alberta girl of the first-degree killings of her parents and younger brother has raised questions about how a dark and intense love affair between the girl and her much older boyfriend could end up at the centre of a murderous rampage.

The girl, who cannot be identified under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was angry with her parents who had grounded her and restricted her from using the computer after they discovered her relationship with a man more than 10 years her senior.

The opening paragraphs are important because they set the tone for the article. A couple of things to note: first, the language used to describe her ‘much older boyfriend’ or ‘a man more than 10 years her senior’ is very weak and almost casual. No mention of terms like ‘pedophile’, ‘internet predator’ or any such derogatory language.

The second thing to note is the assumption that a 12 years old girl is mature enough to have an ‘intense love affair’. The language is more appropriate for a young, blonde woman with a ‘much older boyfriend’ like Donald Trump.

The article continues with much the same but this time from an ‘expert’:

Patricia McDougall, a professor of adolescent development at the University of Saskatchewan, said it's not unusual for parents to find ways to slow down a relationship involving young couples. And teens usually react by fighting with their parents, giving in, or in some cases running away.

"It's age old. This is the Romeo and Juliet thing," said MacDougall.

But how the lovesick couple in Medicine Hat responded to the parental rules defied societal norms.

This terrible situation is compared to things that are typically viewed as positive like ‘relationships involving young couples’, a ‘Romeo and Juliet thing’ or a ‘lovesick couple’ instead of to something more appropriately negative like previous situations where a pedophile preyed on a child or a child murdered their family.

‘Defied societal norms’? Is that how you would describe a triple murder?

The article concludes on an almost surreal note, describing how ‘young love’ can sometimes get a little obsessive.

Rina Trimmeliti, a language teacher at Thornlea Secondary School just north of Toronto, has seen young love many times during the 20 years she has spent working with teens. But nothing she's seen compared to what happened in Medicine Hat.

She said that, in the early stages, young love does seem to be a different world for kids. And, on occasion, she has seen parents raise concerns.

She recalled a recent example of young love. Two of her students, both 15, were an item. They walked to classes, hand-in-hand, shared a locker and spent every possible moment together.

At a parent-teacher meeting, she mentioned to the boy's father that the Grade 10 student had missed handing in some homework on time. The father said he would talk to his son about spending less time with the girlfriend.

As a result they ended up spending more time together on school property and away from the prying eyes of their parents.

"These two are pretty much stuck on each other, pretty much 24/7 it seems," she said in an interview Tuesday. "But nothing unhealthy."

The strongest term used in this article to describe the relationship between a 12 year old girl and a 23 year old man who slaughtered the little girl’s family was ‘twisted’. Throughout the article, the reader is inundated with terms like ‘young couples’, ‘Romeo and Juliet thing’, ‘precocious and in love ‘, ‘puppylove’ and ‘lovesick’.

The reason slogans, cheering crowds and the like work on so many people is because they are unwilling to accept the fact that it is anything but genuine. Please, read the full article for yourself and take note of the language and emphasis used. Articles of this nature are intended to gradual dehumanize the reader not inform or educate them.

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