Enemies of Reason Poundshop potshots at the media moral maze.

Does the Mail really give a shit about swans?

Previous stories by the Mail on swans, most notably when they thought 'migrants' might be eating them, might have given the impression that the Mail gives a shit about swans, and not just bashing foreigners/immigrants/poor people.

Well, let's see.

Story 1, from last week: A catalogue of horrific attacks on swans in Durham, as reported by the RSPCA.

Not covered by the Mail.

Story 2, from today: Teenage gang attacks, tortures and kills swans.

Not covered by the Mail.

Maybe it's going in tomorrow's paper, of course. It's strange, though, given that it gives the Mail a chance to rail against one of its other favourite hate-targets - 'feral children' - that they would choose not to mention wanton violence against swans. Maybe it only cares when 'migrants' are thought to be eating them? Maybe it couldn't care less about British kids torturing and killing these birds? Or maybe it might lessen the outraged response to the stories they do publish about migrants eating our swans if they did mention these incidents?

For my money, though, I find it unpleasant, but almost understandable, that someone starving hungry, a vagrant more likely than an immigrant, might catch and eat a swan for food - not that there's any evidence someone has. On the other hand, kicking and beating swans for fun is utterly reprehensible, deliberate cruelty and deeply disturbing. I hope these reports about children attacking swans aren't true - perhaps the witnesses have blown it out of proportion or got facts confused - but if they are, isn't that a story?

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