Hi Fionn,
What I was saying to both you and my dear friend Kevin, was that I was in no way joking about the earthquake in El Salvador. Rather, we DID have a tiny earthquake in New York, gave us all a small rattle, and like the relief of the safe being droped next to you, THAT is funny - only because there was no injury or property damage, not even a cracked tea cup, and what made it more funny, the idea of a relief concert, is that it was the lead story on the news here THAT is funny. I also took offence at the idea the New York, on the issue of earthquakes was as apathetic as Americans often are about many other things. Not only are New Yorkers quick to collect food and relief whenever there is an earthquake, our Police and Fire departments are know world wide for their expertice in extracting injured from fallin buildings, and they go, as units world wide as part of New Yorks official responce to disaster.
That is the difference between a joke, - no one hurt, and a joke about death. For some reason, there is a mania in the Anglo/American tradition to come up with a joke about the worst events. We even heard jokes with in hours of the explosion of the space shuttle, and to quote an old Radio personality, "t'aint funny McGee".
Wiether any or all were guilty of crime or insurection is not the question, as is not the question of weither or not jurys work. In this nation we have as flawed jurries as anywhere else, HOWEVER, It is generally held in the modern world, that jurries remain the last bastion between the prople and government's political aims.
In fact, a good description of what many of the hunger strikers "trials" were like, can be seen in the case of my friend Tony O'Hara, Patsy's brother. He was lifted for aledgedly stealing a car in a bank robbery to raise money for guns for the INLA. He didn't do it. For several weeks they beat him about the head, causing permanent brain injuries. They blindfolded him and took him up in a helicopter, gently coming down, so he did not know he was feet over the ground. They interogated him and when he would not inform, they tossed him from the helicopter. Finally, he agreed to sign a "confession" for which he was given five years in jail. He pointed out the the judge small letters over each word in the confession that spelled out, this was signed under duress. The single magistrate court - when pointed this out, said, "I see Mr. O'Hara is seeking to embarass this court." eh got five years. If this does not offend you, I think there is a problem here that often comes of societies hardend by struggles. Take my word for it, it does not promote good government.
As to dancing on graves, we Rom have been known to do that, to celibrate life, not to make fun of the dead. What you do when you joke about the death of another, is to bury them standing. That is a whole nother thing.
All the best
Larry