The Truth is Out.
Sometimes of our actions have long lasting consequences, often unforeseen at the time. I'm not going to dwell on who did what on the day but I'm going to use the Hillsborough disaster as an example. The events of this day still brings out a great deal of emotion to anyone from Liverpool because if you are a scouser and you weren't there or lost someone on that day, you know someone who was or did. It affects the whole city blue or red. People in charge on that day made bad decisions, opening a gate that they shouldn't have, not closing the entrance they should have (the way into the central area of the terrace to prevent overcrowding) and calling for police dogs when they it was obvious they should have called for ambulances. But the worse decision of all was the decision to cover it all up and blame the fans. These people weren't club officials but senior police officers. These same men briefed the Prime Minister and she believed them, why wouldn't she, they were senior police officers after all? They fed their lies to the press and the result was, they thought they’d gotten away with their incompetence. Rank and file police officers have publicly claimed for years that the statements they made about that day have been altered, which is a crime in itself to do so.
In the 27 years since there has been more than one inquest because the families of those lost on the day refuse to accept to the verdicts that resulted from the white wash. They have tirelessly campaigned for the truth. They eventually managed to gather enough evidence to show that the original jury at the original inquest didn't see all the evidence and so couldn't come to the correct verdict. Due to their un-waiving determination they got a second inquest. That jury has seen all the evidence, that jury spent two years listening to it and watching video of the day. A couple of days ago that jury gave their verdicts. No longer does the lie that all 96 where dead by 3 PM hold up, the truth is out. They also ruled all 96 where unlawfully killed and had no part in causing the events that took place.
Some may say that now the truth is out it’s all over. They may say it was so long ago, there’s no point in trying to prosecute those responsible but it has taken its toll on the survivors and families. People like Philip Hammond, who lost his 14 year old son at Hillsborough is now wheel chair bound due to stress related illness, brought on by fighting for the truth. Many of the survivors still have nightmares about those events on 15 Th April 1989. Ask anyone how many people died at Hillsborough most will tell you 96 the real truth is the resulting death toll is probably higher. More than one person who survived that day has committed suicide, possibly due to survivor guilt.
Liverpool is a proud city and the population are friendly to everyone who visits there but, they don’t take kindly to being lied about. I for one still won’t buy that “newspaper” under any circumstances. Those responsible for the Hillsborough disaster may now realise what all Scousers have known for the last 27 years, Liverpudlian or Evertonian, we will never forget the 96.