Citizen Editor: Blame culture a ridiculous reflection on society

“Judging by the standards displayed by other reporters (?!!?),this is just the sort of badly researched poorly written rubbish that we've come to expect from The Citizen.”

“"This story seems to have been written in the most sensational manner possible as a hook to hang an editorial opinion on. " - Well said, eyeopener. Also, what does the "brave little four year old" have to do with it? Nothing at all. This ranting piece is just so typical of The Citizen. Mean should make a public apology, and do something about educating himself and reforming the blinkered and biased outlook that his newspaper always adopts. Fat chance.”

“'It would be hilarious if it wasn't so depressing.'

Coincidentally, this describes how many of us readers feel about thisisgloucestershire's output.”

“Dear Mr Mean,

I don't often take two bites at the same cherry unless I'm responding to points made but there is another aspect to your assertion "HOW ridiculous that someone trapping a thumb in a door will cost the taxpayer."

If we take your opinion at face vale it would seem that if we are injured in a public building or the workplace it must be our fault. Futher if we have the effrontery should we feel that others are to blame for our injury to sue then we are being anti-social and costing the tax payer. Indeed you state "Inevitably the premium will rise and residents' pockets will just have to get deeper".

Would you argue that someone injured in a motor accident, should not claim in case it put the other motorists premiums up?

What is really ridiculous is blaming the victim for the accident, and its effect on the premium, and consequently the residents pockets when if the council had fitted an inside door handle all this could have been avoided.”

“Dear Mr Mean wouldn't it be helpful when lambasting someone for claiming for a damaged thumb to report ALL the facts?

Did the claimant suffer and injury? If so how bad? Are we discussing a scratched fingernail or a seriously crushed thumb? Was the thumb used as part of a job requiring manual dexterity? Did the person have to take time off work?

Only we we have answers to these questions could we the readers have a clue as to whether the accident was worth 9p or £9,131.

Could the council have claimed that they had taken reasonable care? Was a door closer attached?

This story seems to have been written in the most sensational manner possible as a hook to hang an editorial opinion on. The parish council minutes report that a member of the public had had the top of their thumb cut off. He was taken to hospital and had a skin graft but it was not possible to reattach it.

The minutes also state that the Parish Council have arranged for a handle to be fitted to enable the door to be closed from the inside. That statement suggest that the accident would not have happened if the door had had a handle like most doors (other than for broom cupboards) on the inside as well as outside. Was this not negligence on the Parish Councils part?

It would seem that after losing the top of his thumb the claimant followed your advice to take a long hard look and see who was responsible; and like most of us in that situation he decided it was the whoever was in charge of the building.

Doesn't it not strike you as odd that the door only had an exterior handle? Do the doors at the Citizen office not have handles both sides? More to the point if TIG readers can provide salient facts, is it not odd that the Citizen didn't?”

“More journalism of the poorest quality from Mr Mean and his wretched rag. Is it true that this man had the end of his thumb chopped off? Has The Citizen made any attempt to discover the facts behind this story? It seems not. Instead it is just another opportunity to push the worst sort of populist rabble rousing. As always.”