@constructivediscourse2021

Daniel Anjorin – RIP

It is coming up to a week after the death of 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin in Hainault, Essex, at the hands of Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo. This event has sent shockwaves across the UK but more significantly in the small town of Hainault. Knowing this event happened in Hainault is particularly distressing for many in that area, as Hainault is not known as a crime hotspot. Laing Close, where the terror happened, is typically a quiet suburban area where the neighbours are all familiar with each other even if they are not consciously communicating. I have not been able to get this senseless murder out of my head. Instead of bottling it up, it is best to communicate with you all about how I am feeling. I will get over it, and my life will move on. Unfortunately, that is not the case for those affected. This blog is about my thoughts and feelings about the incident. I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please do not forget to like and comment on the post.

Why does this affect me personally?

I know Laing Close very well, so much so that I lived there between 2019-2021. I remember receiving a message about this domestic terror attack and realising it was on the road where I once resided. As previously mentioned, Laing Close is a quiet, tight-knit community with no trouble. The most criminal thing I saw in my two years there was a drug deal happening, and those involved did not look like they were from the area. There is something about a significant criminal event happening, and you know the location due to personal experience. It has got me thinking, especially when I read more about the event. According to one news report, Marcus’s terror occurred just before 7 am when he crashed into a house on Laing Close. It was then that he cowardly attacked Daniel from behind and also went into a house occupied by a couple with their four-year-old child, to which he attacked the father in the house, causing injuries. I cannot imagine what that whole family is growing through. The trauma this man will have caused may be present forever in the lives of that family. I mean, how do you get over the fact someone enters your house and attempts to kill you in front of your family? Will they ever feel safe in their home again? As the stakes in my life have increased in recent years, I have become more concerned about burglaries whilst my family is present. So much so that in one incident, I woke to noise in my house and impulsively shouted aggressively, “Who is there?”. In hindsight, I can laugh now because shouting was probably not the best option. Somebody was in the house, and it was my partner returning to the house as she was outside the house talking to her brother. I am not sure where these thoughts first came from; however, these types of thoughts were not there when I did not have a family. Now that I have a family, I have become more sensitive to potential events. Perhaps it is time to end this section and pass my thoughts to Daniel’s family.

A parent should never bury their child!

I do not think any parent believes they are going to bury their child, especially in this horrific and somewhat infrequent circumstance. I cannot imagine what Daniels’s parents are going through; however, I can only assume. The first thing that must go through their heads is, “Why my son?”—a valid question considering the circumstances. Daniel attended Bankcroft, an independent school costing over £8000 per term. It is in an area where affluence is visible and with minor crime. From a parent’s perspective, you pay for your children to go to these schools due to the network they will develop being in those schools, personalised teaching as class sizes is smaller in comparison to public schools, a plethora of extracurricular activities that they can get involved in and a safe environment where they will not have to worry about getting into any trouble to and from school. However, it is not being suggested that private schoolchildren do not get into trouble, and everything is perfect. Instead, this focuses on the environment compared to young people attending public schools in not-so-nice areas. However, on his way to school, a typical school day, Daniel had to endure his last breaths. It’s heartbreaking, and my heart goes out to all those affected. I would like to personally say I am sorry for the loss of your child physically. I know his life will live on spiritually, but this will take time to comprehend. I honestly could not tell you what is worse, losing your only child or losing a child but having other children. Perhaps this is not how I should be looking at this. Losing a child, regardless of circumstance, will be hard. My line of questioning stems from the fact that Mr and Mrs Anjorin have two other children to invest in whilst mourning for their son. Again, my heart goes out to them and all those affected.

Can we have a conversation without being so quick to label or criticise?

The Sun newspaper has never been too far away from controversy. If you are unfamiliar with them, a quick Google search on their role in the Hillsborough disaster will tell you all you need to know. The reason why I am mentioning the Sun is because, once again, they caused controversy around the death of Daniel by headlining the story of Daniel as “Family’s tributes to sword lad, 14”. Daniel’s story was a small section on the front page. Describing Daniel as a sword lad is absolutely disgusting and incredibly dehumanising. Comparatively and equally as sad, two students also lost their lives in a domestic terror-style murder at the hands of a “maniac”, as described by the Sun. One of their key points was the “Maniac in Terror quiz”. This story took the whole front page of the paper. Many people have criticised the Sun for the differences they have covered in this story as they are similar. Some have even called it racial discrimination due to the racial differences. Daniel being melanated and the two students who died were Caucasian.  

Reading through the messages online, you can tell it has become a racially divided topic. Most Caucasian people I have seen commenting deny the racial undertone, with some going further by suggesting this is another case of race-baiting. Melanated individuals have a strong belief that it has racial undertones. The problem with these types of conversations, especially on the internet, is that discourse is often disrupted by name-calling and trying to out-debate somebody rather than seek the truth. I wasn’t initially going to talk about this because I did not want to ruffle any feathers; however, I am tired of people who are so quick to label people or circumstances. A significant part of why discourse is so poorly executed on most platforms is that you have a group that does not want to engage in complex topics. I would need to do further research to give a firm conclusion about what the Sun did with racial undertones.

However, it could be an overreaction, which could be accurate. It could be accurate that it was not an overreaction. The truth and the potential of truth are uncomfortable. There are questions as individuals and as a collective that we may find unpleasant but must be mature enough to discuss. Another idea is to skip discussions. You cannot provide valid points or need to be more emotionally invested. It is alright to respond if you are emotionally involved. When tragic events happen, there is always an opportunity for people to learn, no matter how big or small the learning process is. History and the contemporary world have shown us how tragic events can help us understand. For example, after 9/11, security at airports became stricter, especially in America and the UK. Closing the door to a worthy topic has become popular, showcasing just how far back we have gone.

Another point of view that I read was that the above topic is not the right time to have as a young man has lost their life. Again, I think there is a valid point. I can see that perspective because emotions can get the better of people, especially if an event is very fresh. It could be argued that the main concern should be about a young man losing his life to a domestic terrorist.

Now, I have used the term terrorist about the individual who committed this awful act. There will be a section who read this that may not agree this was an act of terrorism as we are not aware of the individual’s intentions. We are not aware if there were any religious/political/ideological motives. However, I would argue that this should be classed as a terrorist act because it will still strike fear in people, especially those in and around that community. It may take individuals a long time to get over what happened on Laing Close, especially if they take a similar route as Daniel. Random attacks where multiple people are hurt are damaging enough to suggest terror, even without a particular motive.

Final thoughts

No matter how difficult a discussion is, a space must be provided. Sometimes, it is not the right time, and I have mentioned that what the Sun newspaper did may not be the best time as Daniel’s life is the most important element of this story. Whenever that time is, it is invaluable for discourse to be present for people to learn. Learning is the primary reason for discourse. For a society to continue to progress, we need to have difficult conversations about topics that may challenge us emotionally and intellectually for a progressive society. Technological advancements suggest that we live in a highly progressive society. It is different compared to 100 years ago and what the average human had. We have progressed. However, as the internet grows in discourse, more topics are being shut down, and people are often labelled. Being labelled is why I usually state that we have regressed regarding discourse. I want to finish this blog by sharing my condolences with Daniel’s family and passing on all positive energy and strength your way.