Planking an offence?

What is planking? The latest craze? A competitive sport? Or a criminal offence? While planking has become a worldwide fad seen as a bit of harmless fun, Queensland police warn that plankers caught in dangerous situations could be charged with Unauthorised High Risk Activity. The activity has so far seen a man charged with trespass after planking on a police vehicle, has caused the death of a man who fell from a 7-story building while attempting to plank on the railing of his balcony and the death of a man who was thrown from the roof of a car, however it has been said he was car surfing but his death continuously is referred to as a planking incident. The activity itself involves lying face down, hands by your side and in unusual places, the more unusual and creative the better. What has sparked the craze is that plankers post their photos on facebook pages and websites which offer prizes for the best planker, thus through social media the activity has gone international.

 It’s likely however that many individuals only learnt of the ‘sport’ through mainstream media as I myself only heard of it on the 6 o’clock news when a crew member planked across the news desk following the report of the recent craze. Therefore is it then only the media we have to blame for promoting reckless planking resulting in illegal behaviour and even death. Personally I don’t understand the obsession with planking and why some schools have even banned the activity with already many students being suspended. Victorian police are claiming to impose $293 on-the-spot fines if plankers’ were walking or climbing on any part of rail premises not intended for passenger use and also a fine to those who cause an annoyance on/around public transport. One mans’ comment over South Australia’s discussion over outlawing dangerous planking reads ‘They will now have to outlaw mountain climbing, bungy jumping, crossing the road…’, which is the general disbelief of the public in which the amount of media and government attention over planking is ridiculous and if anything, only fuelling the activity.

It is the focus that ‘dangerous’ planking is what is of concern, however isn’t this then the same as dangerous walking and standing. Individuals should not be charged for planking but if it involves actual illegal behaviour such as trespass, public nuisance or reckless behaviour then yes these are offences. It is evident that the definition of a criminal act is broadening with new technologies and changing societal values and morals however is it necessary to include simply idiotic behaviour to the list?

A.Cook (24/05/11) What a Plank: SA AGS office mulls planking ban, Crikey

http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/05/24/what-a-plank-sa-ags-office-mulls-planking-ban/

A.Godfrey (17/05/11) How Brisbane planking death of Acton Beale is fueling a dangerous web craze, The Daily Telegraph

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/how-brisbane-planking-death-of-acton-beale-is-fueling-a-dangerous-web-craze/story-e6freuzr-1226056501630

T. Chilcott (19/05/11) Students suspended for planking at two queensland schools, The Courier Mail

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/students-suspended-for-planking-at-two-queensland-schools/story-e6freoof-1226058894755

The War You Don't See





John Pilger’s 2010 documentary ‘The War You Don’t See’ is an important and essential investigation of the true war in Iraq. The truth in which is either unreported, obscured or concealed is due to embedded journalism in which their assumed obligation to accurately informing society of news and events is further diminished due to the fact that the information they have access to, its interpretation and what is reported, is controlled by the military unit they are embedded with.

The most horrific scene shown in the documentary is 2007 footage of US military shooting innocent civilians and camera men in Baghdad as well as the commentary that goes with it, ‘Light em’ all up’, ‘oh yeah, look at all those dead bastards’, ‘nice’. When a van came to attempt to collect the pieces of what was left of these bodies, the military again opened fire. There were 2 young children inside the van, their father in the drivers’ seat. Up to 90% of deaths during the war in Iraq are of civilians and over a million people have been killed. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949, ‘The killing of civilians and wilfully causing great suffering is a war crime’. So why are our military forces above the law? With further efforts of independent journalism could something be done, perceptions changed? 300 journalists have been killed during the war in Iraq including British reporter Terry Lloyd, shot dead by American Marines. Lloyd was injured in crossfire between US military and Iraqi troops and when a makeshift ambulance picked Lloyd up and drove away, US military fired upon it killing the reporter along with his translator and cameraman. No one has been charged over the deaths and while forensics identify that it was an American bullet which killed Lloyd, they cannot determine exactly who fired the shot. None of the men involved gave evidence or were questioned. Journalist and author of ‘Beyond the Green Zone’ Dahr Jamail states, ‘seeing what I see (and) contrasting that with what has been reported by most of the mainstream, it’s like two completely different worlds’. Viewers of mainstream media do not have any idea of the civilian death toll, of the scale of suffering and of the unprecedented and unnecessary brute force of western military forces.

Pilger states independent journalists don’t have to risk their lives to tell the truth, ‘but we do have to be brave enough to defy those who seek out collusion in selling their latest bloody adventure in someone else’s country.’

J. Bingham (28/07/08) No one to be charged over shooting of ITN reporter Terry Lloyd in Iraq, The Telegraph, UK.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2465218/No-one-to-be-charged-over-shooting-of-ITN-reporter-Terry-Lloyd-in-Iraq.html

J. Pilger (2010)The War You Don’t See, A Dartmouth Films Production, Strand Films MMX

J. Simpson (15/10/06) Are the killers of Terry Lloyd getting away with his murder?, The Independent, UK.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/are-the-killers-of-terry-lloyd-getting-away-with-his-murder-420189.html