Now the NZ Herald is paying Bob Jones to break the law

If you go to Bob Jones’ latest article on The Herald, it might look a little different than it did this morning.

That’s because they’ve removed the section where he patted himself on the back for telling someone to commit suicide – who did.

The Herald’s response has been incredibly limp:

Editor’s note: This column has been amended following further consideration of Bob Jones’ comments. We apologise that the original column caused offence to some readers.

Further consideration, you note.  So they’d already considered the column, and it took a lot of people on Twitter saying “Are you actually fucking kidding me?” for them to think that hey, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.

And of course it’s the offence caused which is the problem.  Not the fact that telling someone to commit suicide, and congratulating yourself when they do, is really fucking evil.  We already have plenty of history to establish that the Herald’s editors don’t give a fuck about publishing Bob Jones’ thoughts on rape victims deserving it and burning women’s houses down because he doesn’t like their driving.

But here’s the thing: it’s also illegal.

Accio section 179 of the Crimes Act:

Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years who—

(a)incites, counsels, or procures any person to commit suicide, if that person commits or attempts to commit suicide in consequence thereof; or
(b)aids or abets any person in the commission of suicide.

Bob Jones would appear to be ever so slightly in breach of the law – as well as a terrible person who will, if there is any god, spend eternity trapped in a hybrid car behind a woman driver.

For this little episode, he and the editors of the Herald are deemed Officially Scum.

8 comments

  1. megpie71

    Charming bloke. Is he related to Alan Jones over here on t’other side of the Tasman? Because he certainly appears to share some stylistic and rhetorical qualities with him.

  2. rhinocrates

    Here’s what I’ve posted on The Standard and my Facebook page – please feel free to spread it as far as you like. The Herald has really passed a moral line with this – and clearly, they know it.

    This is outrageous. If you have a subscription to The Herald, you should cancel it immediately. A family member of mine committed suicide. Here is the text of a post I have made to a well-known blog. Please pass it on.

    Boycott The Herald!

    Queen of Thorns has helpfully exposed just how vile and mercenary Granny can be – see

    https://ideologicallyimpure.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/now-the-nz-herald-is-paying-bob-jones-to-break-the-law/

    The Herald published a column by “Sir” Bob Jones in which he boasted of driving a man to suicide and only lately admitted that they might have made a boo-boo.

    There is this address:

    http://www.presscouncil.org.nz/complain.php

    Here’s my letter to the editor. Feel free to make use of any elements you like in telling the editors just how you feel. Do not let them get away with their crime!

    I know that this won’t be printed because I use the word \\”fucking\\” in the header, though you’re happy to profit from someone boasting of the crime of successfully exhorting someone to commit suicide.

    You permitted Bob Jones, who’s already excused rape, to confess to – no, boast of – a crime resulting in someone’s death in order to make a profit and then issued the limp apology \\”We apologise that the original column caused offence to some readers.\\” because anything honest would have you facing prosecution.

    Someone with authority saw that column and decided that it was going to be a money-earner. Are they still being rewarded for their judgement, are they still on the payroll?

    You must be so proud of yourselves. Just imagine how many page views you gained – the shareholders will be delighted, I’m sure!

    You have to be the most revolting publication in New Zealand if you want to profit from this.

    Do you know why I don’t pay money to buy the Herald? It doesn’t absorb well, it isn’t neatly perforated in small sections, it has all of this pointless ink on it and it doesn’t come in rolls.

    Are you proud of yourself, are you really?

  4. rhinocrates

    He’s not “ever so slightly” in breach of the law, and neither is The Herald:

    In both publishing Bob Jones’ confession of a criminal act and then deleting it, you are an accessory to a crime by attempting to cover up evidence/a confession:

    https://ideologicallyimpure.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/now-the-nz-herald-is-paying-bob-jones-to-break-the-law/

    See

    http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0043/latest/DLM329347.html

    You have aided him in his commission of his crime.

  5. Suzanne Robins

    Bob Jones is an arrogant arsehole and if I believed in hell I would believe that that’s where he belongs, but what’s with the “woman driver” comment?