2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Gaza deaths are ‘murders' and not ‘killings' says Kerry musician
The popular musician, who has lived in Amsterdam, Geneva and London but is currently living in Dublin, posted his appeal on social media saying all media platforms should replace the word 'killed' with 'murdered' when reporting on wars in the world.
He added while he can only speak for himself, the word murdered affects him more than the word killed and reinforces the notion these innocent people did not die in an accident when in fact 'someone deliberately extinguished their lives'.
Francie said the world owes it to the victims to tell the truth about how they died, 'they weren't killed, they were murdered,' he said.
Speaking to The Kerryman about his message, Francie explained that anyone familiar with his songs and musical journey knows that themes of love, peace and justice are consistently written about. A song of his called 'Everything Grooves' was considered one of the best peacetime songs by BBC Northern Ireland.
'The frightening thing is we're seeing it [death] and it is being allowed to go on. People are living with it. If everyone starts using their voice – no matter how small – eventually, the people making these decisions will know there is not a mandate for it,' he said.
Francie said mainstream media is nervous to classify and call out the killings as murder. He feels they should 'call it as it is'.
'We had 10 road deaths in Kerry this year. These weren't deliberate killings. What we're seeing in wars are deliberate on a continuous basis. It's not just in Gaza, but other places too,' he said.
Francie referred to his recently released song 'Hit By A Hurricane' as a song for today's turbulent times. It relates to a future that is unpredictable, uncertain, unsafe and unsure. The song is being played in America and UK and was written in a time of peace that is now encapsulating the chaos of war.
'The track is opening up a conversation. If we all say there is nothing we can do, then we have to ask if complacency is the same as agreeing with something bad that is happening,' he said.
'The censorship coming into things being written about in 2025 is absolutely crazy…If you listen to the press conferences coming out of the White House it is terrifying and a farce. It's becoming accepted,' he said.
'I'm not advocating here for one side over the other. Peace and injustice is a subject I've been writing about for many years. It's just come to the fore recently and I felt compelled to put that message out there. That a little ripple can start a wave is still possible – we have to believe in that hope,' Francie said.
