On the one hand, I completely agree with Victoria Gill, that yes, the good comments should outshine the bad, however, it’s hard to think that if this was my family, I would accept the bad just as readily as the good.

Nichola Mansfield is quite correct, in my opinion, when she states that everyone holds the right to freedom of speech, but I personally believe that everybody also holds the right to retain their dignity and respect, even in death. Furthermore, I believe that those grieving this tragic loss should also be granted the peace and privacy that they not only request, but also deserve at such a hard time.

I completely agree with airing one’s personal views, but to such a vile and upsetting extent that it belittles a person and their loved ones, even in death? I don’t think so.

On the one hand, as Nichola Mansfield pointed out, everybody has the right to freedom of speech. We live in a democracy and it is vital that the public have the chance to air their views.

For journalists in particular, comments can be very useful. They can get feedback on their stories, they can follow up possible leads and they can view the reaction to their work.

However, journalists are now having to deal with comment on their stories and are hearing an answer to the question instead of forming a rhetoric.

Also, should everybody have the chance to air their views if their views insight racial hatred or extremism. I don’t think so.

You will always have people willing to comment in a horrible way on tragic events. What recent technology has allowed however, that creates a problem, is the opportunity for these views to be published and read by anyone and everyone.

This is nothing new in Indian villages and nothing will change either..

Undoubtedly, some people are easier to get on with than others as this is the very nature of the world we live in. And when someone dies, they are almost always portrayed as the nicest person their close family and friends has ever known. But the rationale behind this, is that it would not be moral to point out character flaws when one has passed away. The abusive commenters might care to wonder why they acted so irrationally, and did not keep such defamatory ideas and opinions to themselves.

I cannot imagine that the authors of these comments would be happy if the shoe was on the other foot either. Imagine if you will that it was their son who had tragically lost their life and other people were casting aspersions and being nasty about him. They would not take kindly to the insulting prose, of that I am sure. Perhaps, in the future, they should think about whether their actions reflect them in a light they would like to be portrayed in, and whether they would like to receive the comments they posted in the position of being parents of the dead boy.

It has to be said though, that these comments do point to a more sinister side of human nature, and a lack of respect not so common in our forefathers. One cannot imagine a war hero being defamed and abused publicly in this way, nor even a humble coalminer. The advent of digital and online media has definitely aided freedom of speech, but one has to wonder whether such autonomy is a good thing on the whole, especially with such vindictive, evil human beings able to access their computers.

My only hope is that such comments can now be put in the past and the parents of this boy be allowed to bury him in peace and mourn without more vile intrusions into their silent grieving from such uncaring individuals.

At the end of the day people are just plain ignorant. I work in a borough where 45% of the population is from a black or minority ethnic group. The local papers website is always full of rascist comments that should not only offend BME groups but white people too – they are disgusting! The editor does eventually remove them but this does not bring cohesion to a borough that has such a diverse community.

The opposite argument to that is, and I do not agree with it at all, but that everyone has freedom to speech.

Topcat’s comments had obviously been removed by the time I checked out the article, and quite rightly so, as Peter’s family and friends would have seen them. Not only have they lost a loved one but then they have to put up with mindless sh*t from some ignorant person who has nothing better to do than write cruel and upsetting things on a blog that is so full of love and memories of a young lad who was involved in a very tragic accident.