Prank calling is not a new form of entertainment. When done with good taste it is harmless. The Australian radio station 2Day took their prank call way too far, abusing the helpfulness of two nurses, breaking the privacy of a pregnant woman (who happens to be from the British Royal family), and this they call entertainment? I call this a depraved act that someone with some morals should have said “No, this is not correct”. Some manager approved this stunt and the result was a breach of privacy of the pregnant woman as well as the unfortunate suicide of one of the nurses. Is this what 2Day FM calls entertainment? If I was not Canadian I would certainly call the sponsors of 2Day FM to complain that they are supporting an immoral radio station and would boycott their products.
I am all for technology, but there is the unforeseen and inevitable abuse. In this case a long distance call from Australia to Great Britain is clear enough to seem like a local call. This is rather remarkable when you think about it as the two parties are more than a half a globe away. It is unfortunate that 2Day FM abused this technology for their own gain.
I do not like to joke about something at the grave expense of other people. This is especially so when the other party could lose their reputation and in this case, their life. I find nothing funny about this, be the receiving party friend or foe. We as a moral society do not have the right to laugh at the expense of the downfall of others. This is simply immoral. How these two DJs did not think this through, that they would so harm the other party, I do not know. There was no other possible outcome.
My heart goes out to the nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who committed suicide because of the prank call by 2Day FM’s DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian. How these two live with themselves I do not know. Though they look nice in their photo, their actions show that they cannot be trusted to act in a moral way.
As this episode of immorality continues, 2Day FM continues to say that they did no wrong and were acting within Australian law. Let me tell you that no matter what the law says, when you tarnish the reputation of someone and an innocent party commits suicide, you need to admit the obvious. 2Day FM gravely and grossly erred in judgement and they continue to deny this. Who in the public of Australia would be immoral enough to listen to this radio station and purchase products from this radio station’s sponsors? Which listeners would support such a prank call that has done so much harm to others half way across the world? Mel Greig and Michael Christian, you should never be able to work as DJs ever again, and should also never be placed in a position of trust where you might need to make a decision on what is right and wrong. You both are despicable.
Though I am neither British nor Australian, I do question if other Australians are as immoral as these two DJs. It is a logical thought. I hope that these two were abberations of Australian society and that most Australians would make the right decision and not support such heinous prank calls. Innocent these calls are not. This prank call puts all Australians in a very bad light.
I will make it a point to try to find the sponsors of 2Day FM and if these companies do business in Canada I will boycott their products. I will not tolerate much less support such harmful companies and people.
I can see hospital protocol changing where incoming calls will not be put through to the patient, due partly as a reaction against such prank calls. There are many people who live far away from family. If you or your family happens to get hospitalized, often the only way to contact them is through the phone. A hospital reaction to prevent prank calls by denying all incoming calls would severely punish family members and prevent them from talking to the sick. There is really no way to prevent such prank calls from happening. The implications are far reaching.
2Day FM, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, you lack moral fiber, and one innocent nurse died because of your shortcomings. I hope that you all get sued and convicted in Australia for this heinous act, and then be extradited to Britain to face the same. Even if you do not, you set an infamous example of how one human being can be so cruel to another human being, even if they had never ever met before. This is a clear black mark on modern society.
The world mourns Jacintha Saldanha, an innocent casualty of those that did not think nor care for their fellow human beings. May you rest in peace.
