Russell Brand Calls Tunisia Two Minute Silence ‘Bulls**t’
Russell Brand is known for his political views and calls for revolution. Over the years, he has called for people to not vote until the last UK General Election when he called for people to vote for Labour after sitting down with Labour leader Ed Miliband. Now he is speaking out again, and this time about the two minute silence for the victims of the Tunisia terrorist attack.
Brand has stated that the two minute silence is “bulls**t,” and it as instantly caused controversy. The problem is the lack of reporting the reasons for his view. It is not the actual two minutes that he is complaining about, but the fact that there is nothing that is happening to stop something like this from occurring again, according to Metro.
During his rant on the Trews, his own video blog, he explains that the UK government is to blame for the deaths. Terrorists are getting weapons from the West, and there is nothing the UK government is doing to stop that. Russell brings up the point that the silence is more of an “empty and futile gesture.” The government will “continue selling arms around the world,” and the problems will continue.
“Does that one minute silence mean anything or is it an empty and futile gesture and part of a general policy of bulls*** so that our government can continue selling arms around the world perpetuating a cycle where its own needs are met at the expense of its own citizens’ lives. True news.”
However, individuals have hit back at Russell Brand’s comments. Various people on Twitter made it clear that the two minute silence is a way for the family members and friends of the victims to remember their lost loved ones. It is a way for the people of the country to mourn the loss, and not for the governments. One Twitter user even questioned how Brand was willing to use the deaths of 38 innocent people as his platform to attack the government.
@rustyrockets the minutes silence is not for the government its for the friends and family who have lost someone, how stupid are yiy
— Darren Ruback (@Darren_Ruback) July 2, 2015
@rustyrockets how can you use the death of 38 innocent people as a way to attack the government. Pathetic mate
— John Taylor (@ChelseaRang) July 3, 2015
According to the Daily Express, the terrorist came from a camp in Libya, which has struggled since the UK sent troops to in 2011.
There have been people who supported him in his views but wanted him to think before he spoke. They say there was no need to bring the victims into it, even if he is right about the government’s actions. Taking a moment’s silence is viewed as a mark of respect, rather than a political bias.
Two survivors of the attack in Tunisia have openly criticized Russell for his comments. Suzanne West said that she was surprised that someone has said such “awful things” about the tragedy. Russell Brand has not commented about the fallout on social media, but he does request that people actually watch the video to see what he really said, rather than taking comments out of context.
[Image via YouTube]
