Boston Newspaper Headline Slams Sport Fighters

**The Wastrel** · Posted On: 12/03/2004 12:03pm

Well, considering that Boston copper who shot a college girl in the eye with a pepper spray pellet, and killed her, are ye surprised?

**Arbiter** · Posted On: 12/03/2004 1:58pm

Originally Posted by The Wastrel

Well, considering that Boston copper who shot a college girl in the eye with a pepper spray pellet, and killed her, are ye surprised?

No, not surprised really. The Herald was instrumental in the character assassination and subsequent resigning of the head of Massport (big transportation beauracracy here) a few years back after he got on the bad side of other local politicians. They live for this kind of thing and sell a lot of papers that way. Most Bostonians know that the Herald is a piece of **** and a total rag and don't take it as much more than blatant sensationalism, but it does brandish some power and will force people to respond.

I generally don't have a problem with Boston cops.... they are tough mofo's and don't go out of their way to bust balls, theyre busy fighting gang violence and real crime (unlike many cops out in the 'burbs who are just looking for reasons to **** with you).

BUT... What they did to that poor girl, Victoria Snelgrove, was reprehensible. The cop who shot her was a rookie who had NO TRAINING with the firearm he was using, which is dangerous enough to never be shot into a crowd. And sure it was wild that night, but not THAT out of hand. It did not warrent that kind of response. Whom ever approved those cops to have those weapons really SHOULD be fired...
All local news, of course, had in depth coverage of this atrocity. But the Boston Herald took some major flack for publishing a large gruesome photo of her laying on the sidewalk dieing. It was in very bad taste and rubbed salt in her families wounds.

Her death hit me hard and close to home... That night it she was shot, I was training at a gym about a block away from the scene of where it happened (i had know idea until i got home and saw the news).
Then the next night I had tickets to see Social Distortion play at the Avalon, which is across the street from Fenway Park, literally right where she was shot. We were walking to the show and i saw some flowers and cards in a make-shift memorial and some of her friends gathered there crying. I looked down and saw her blood stain puddled on the sidewalk. Some other people were oblivious and were walking right past without noticing. After the show, the mob exiting were walking thru and even stepping in her blood stain totally clueless that this was where she died not 24 hours before. I was deeply saddened and can't even begin to describe the faces of her friends staring at her blood on the sidewalk.

**The Wastrel** · Posted On: 12/03/2004 2:07pm

Originally Posted by Arbiter

The cop who shot her was a rookie who had NO TRAINING with the firearm he was using, which is dangerous enough to never be shot into a crowd.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns

"Milien, a grenadier assigned to the police Special Operations unit, is certified to train officers on the use of the weapon."

**Wounded Ronin** · Posted On: 12/03/2004 2:47pm

Well, at the encouragement at some of the earlier posts, I sent in the following:

I felt that the front page illustration shown at the URL http://news.bostonherald.com/localRe...rticleid=57023 displaying some of the injuries recieved by the "no holds barred" fighters were somewhat sensationalistic and irresponsible. This is because "no holds barred" fighting is an established sport practiced by well-trained martial arts experts who desire an open forum in which they use skills from a variety of martial arts disciplines. However, the general public does not necessarily have this contextual knowledge and therefore the dramatic front page illustrations could potentially make people rush to the judgement that "no holds barred" fighting is some kind of illegal human cockfight with unskilled contestants, which is not the case.

**Ronin** · Posted On: 12/03/2004 2:55pm

" The kumite is for fighters, not for people that read newspapers".

**Arbiter** · Posted On: 12/03/2004 3:45pm

Originally Posted by The Wastrel

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns

"Milien, a grenadier assigned to the police Special Operations unit, is certified to train officers on the use of the weapon."

Thanks for pointing out that detail there Sherlock, makes me feel so much better about the entire incedent... So he was trained, but he was still incompetent. It was, however, widely reported here that they broke precedural regulations.

**Shuma-Gorath** · Posted On: 12/03/2004 3:47pm

Originally Posted by Arbiter

Thanks for pointing out that detail there Sherlock, makes me feel so much better about the entire incedent... So he was trained, but he was still incompetent. It was, however, widely reported here that they broke precedural regulations.

Ok, but don't call the guy an untrained rookie.

**The Wastrel** · Posted On: 12/03/2004 3:47pm

You don't find it the least bit interesting that not only was he trained, he trained others? What could anger you about me pointing that out?

**Wounded Ronin** · Posted On: 12/03/2004 3:52pm

Yeah, maybe no one realized that the weapon could kill.

**Arbiter** · Posted On: 12/03/2004 4:57pm

Hay man, nothing angers me about anyone pointing out accurate details. And in fact I think it is more intersting that he was trained and that this still happened despite his background. As martial artists, I believe we like to think that proper training will aid in our performance and decision-making under high stress situations. i do realize its never fool-proof.

I was just suprised to read that because the boston media made a big deal about the shooter being an untrained rookie, at least thats what the initial coverage was saying immediately after the incedent. I believe that some members of the police force involved were in fact rookies (unless the coverage was totally wrong), and the identity of the particular officer who shot her was not given right after the fact. But it came to light, as you pointed out, that he was just over-eager to shoot into a crowd and a poor shot, not an untrained rookie. Of course this has little to do with my original topic, other than demonstrate the power the media has to bias people against certain things that are negatively portrayed. Often, rightfully so. In that case, I wonder how much the price of the stock of the company that manufactured the pepper gun dropped, or whether funding for police special ops got cut.

As for the how i think the imagery or today's paper was used negatively....
First off, i totally believe in a free press. And not I'm no nessesarily sticking up for Gannon, he probably should have know better or taken more safe-guards so he wouldnt get caugt. I am just irratated in the WAY in which the story was covered. Come on, most people will not bother to read the whole story and get to the part that begins to explain MMA. The sensational pictures and the basic message that the pictures burn into the general populaces minds about martial arts in general is a very negative one. Several large pictures of beaten down and bloody sport fighters along with sensational and my no means positive Headlines and lead in to the story, gives a bad image to sport/reality fighters in general. And as I explained, the Herald and media sources like it often have a thinly disguised agendas that can have reprocussions. And seeing the problems that New York's Athletic Commision is giving sport fighting and martial arts promoters in that state (for example:Petition against NYSAC
, effectively banning professional martial arts fighting unless its sanctioned by their appointed representatives, its not such a stretch to see this as a potential and unnessesary public relations problem here in Massachusetts and potentially other states, once the story has reached the major media. Massachusetts currently holds some very good regular Sport Fighting events, and I would hate to see a popular movement to suppress or ban these types of competition.

I thought this issue would be of interest to you Bullshidoka because you organize regional 'throwdowns' of some sort that have no more (or less) validity or legality, i would guess , than Gannon and Slice's basement challange match. If the public, including people who run gym spaces, school administrators and your employers, develop the opinion, that reality fighting, challenge matches and sport fighting in general are bad and possibly illegal, it will be a lot harder and more risky to do your throwdowns or compete in events. That is why it concerns me; it sets a bad precedent and image for the entire martial arts community, particularly sport fighting.

Ah what the hell, I know its not the end of the world, but it is a relevant issue.
Have a good weekend.