28 March 2024, Thursday, 18:15
Support
the website
Sim Sim,
Charter 97!
Categories

What Did State Propagandists Show After Tragedy On July 3?

31
What Did State Propagandists Show After Tragedy On July 3?

No one's forgotten, nothing's forgotten?

It is true that I did not want to write any comments about the tragedy during the fireworks. To make sort of spiteful remarks: "we were saying that your rattling with weapons wouldn't do you any good" and "your fireworks aren't needed in the economy-oriented country". After all, it is clear that what happened was a tragic coincidence of circumstances and similar could have happened in any country and at any holiday, even the most wonderful one.

But the official reaction still does not allow staying silent. On July 4th I came across a daily news release of the Belarusian TV. I thought it was a good reason to hear comments from the state officials, as well as details about the tragedy.

And what do you think? Do you know what the first and most important news was? "A parade dedicated to Independence Day was held in the country," - the speaker said solemnly. Then the joyful faces of the citizens flashed on the television screen, the military marched in slender rows, and the planes soared up, writing out intricate figures. The offscreen voice listed the types of equipment, detachments and other military units under the chords of the march.

Then all this was replaced by shots of solemn laying of flowers to the victory monument. And at the bottom of the screen with large letters there was an inscription: "Nobody is forgotten, nothing is forgotten".

Are you guys serious? That is, the main news on July 3 is the parade with the laying of flowers and the passage of tanks through the streets of the capital? And this is when it is already well known that as a result of the exploded fireworks a person was killed (not a military one), 10 more were injured. But it turns out that this is not a sufficient reason to become the main topic on our TV.

The news about the dead woman and the state of emergency was announced next. And it was presented as if it had nothing to do with the previous story. Even the word "salute" was not mentioned in it. It was simply said that the woman had suffered from fragments of "fireworks article", the doctors failed to save her. And the military comment that the "product" was Russian-made and is currently being checked.

If you do not know all the details, you can decide that there was an ordinary accident because of a firecracker. And all that just coincided with the day of the magnificent celebration so successfully organized by the authorities.

How is that possible? Why can't we just say what happened? Why do we have to pretend like everything is okay? After all, it is clear that today the information leaks at lightning speed, and it is foolish to try to hide or disguise something. Well, it is unlikely that the death of a woman could seem less important to a TV boss than the passage of tanks through the city? Moreover, not just the domestic death, but the death as a result of miscalculation at the state level.

By the way, right after the report about the death at the fireworks, the Belarusian audience learned that in Italy, during a volcano eruption, a tourist from Sicily was also killed. Obviously, to make it clear that the whole world is restless now.

I did not want to write any comments and to call to account all the guilty and ideological inspirers of the event, which gave rise to the tragedy. But still, let us remain human. For no matter what the political situation is or what side of the barricades you are on, a person's life should be more important than any ideological attitudes.

Veranika Bialova, Salidarnasts

Write your comment 31

Follow Charter97.org social media accounts