In Reply to: re: scandel-mongering ? posted by Disgusted on December 02, 2006 at 20:05:00:

Are you disgusted that this discussion itself is "tittle tattle"? Or that a supposedly colourful 'catch-me-if-you-can' character was posing as psychologist and wine-taster and getting convicted of serial fraud and bigamy and now has a film made about him?

The days when you could shut people up by saying "don't talk about that" are gone, Disgusted - and Deo Gratias. The bad old days when whole communities here knew that politicians were on the take and corrupting all round them, the days when you could drink and drive without a qualm because no one would say anything, the days when a man could be heard beating his wife without a tittle or even a tattle from his neighbours, the days when silence colluded and we even failed to protect our helpless innocent children simply because no one was prepared to tittle-tattle about a pillar of society such as a priest who abused children right in their midst. His reputation was more important than the safety of the children?

A bit of public tittle-tattle here and there might have gone a long way to straightening things up much sooner than happened. But now you want to go back to the bad old days when everyone kept shtumm?

• The Darker Side