Sick T-shirt should be withdrawn (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Sick T-shirt should be withdrawn

8:24am Monday 13th February 2012 in Our View By Telegraph & Argus

To describe the use of Peter Sutcliffe on a T-shirt supposedly displaying Yorkshire icons as ‘a bit of dark humour’, as the company that has produced these sick items does, shows that it is seriously deluded and has no conception of people’s feelings.

An icon should be a symbol, an emblem, representative of something. All Sutcliffe represents is evil and to use him as a Yorkshire icon is absolutely reprehensible.

His killings still loom large in the memory of far too many people in this district to allow any sort of humour to be associated with him.

This is a man who murdered 13 women and attacked at least four others. Yet this company, TOT-shirts, seem to think it is not only acceptable but somehow humorous to use him alongside some true iconic Yorkshire figures.

They have a very different idea as to what constitutes humour than most people would have. Whoever came up with this sick attempt at a joke clearly does not have any perception of how fresh the terrible years of the Yorkshire Ripper killings are.

They should look very closely at the reports of Sutcliffe’s crimes and the impact it had on Yorkshire and the rest of the country, and reflect on their little joke. Maybe then they would regret this idea, although sadly it does not seem very likely.

This is not ‘dark humour’, it is a sick and obscene piece of exploitation, and this T-shirt should be withdrawn from sale immediately.

The manufacturers and anybody who has bought or worn it should be deeply ashamed of themselves. Until they do, all right-thinking Yorkshire folk – indeed, all right-thinking folk anywhere – should think very, very seriously about buying anything from this company.