It is clearer today that there are still bodies to be recovered from deep underground in Russell Square tube station. The death toll is now over fifty but not likely to exceed 100.
Spain lost 191 souls from their ten bombs; with over 1,900 injured. So I suppose that our four bombs taking out over 50 people is comparable but I am still surprised that the heaving mass that is London commuter-land did not produce more fatalities.
Instead of being scared by these things we should take comfort in knowing how strong our bodies are and that we can survive the most incredible devastation. Fear breeds fear but if we can be strong and have faith then that is a more powerful force.
Last night one of my overseas girlfriends phoned me. We are both ex-Londoners and she was so upset that her beloved London had suffered. She talked about this Summer and her plans to still come to London.
She reminded me of her best ever birthday, quite a few years ago, when she had come over to see me in London. We were returning to her hotel in Docklands when our tube train was stopped by a bomb alert. She was so impressed by the way that I, unperturbed, just found us a different way to continue on our way across London, to a supermarket to buy fresh bread and goodies and then to the balcony of her hotel to eat our treats and celebrate her birthday as the summer sun set over London.
It must be awful for those whose loved ones who are still unaccounted for and those who have lost or injured ones. Life will never be the same, but for the rest of us life must go on.
Minerva is a Londoner and has written a brilliant piece of prose that takes you on a short journey through the joy of the Olympics to the horrors to the indominatable spirit of the British to the sorrow and loss.
Original Comments:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I just cannot imagine what those poor families are going through, when they couldnt contact their loved ones after yesterday's terror, and who didn't get home to them last night, because they perished in the attack.
My thoughts are with them...
OK, enough analogies!
I did not mean by any count to incinuate that "Muslims" in general should be taken out!
ANYBODY that treats their neighbor and fellow citizens of this world with respect and dignity deserves to be treated in a like manner.
ANYBODY that willfully causes harm or injury to another human being, deserves to receive the same as punishment.
Much can be said about the US and the way this war is being elad, but at the end of the day I have to say that at least the US Forces are doing their dang best to avoid insuring the innocent. Are they always successfull at this extremely difficult task. No, but at least they do not harm innocent civilians on purpose.
These religious fanatics though seem to be set on doing just that: Cause harm, injury and death to the innocent so that all the "infidels" are scared. They are the bullies of this world, not the US.
Somehow I suspect the terrorists are also that we sometimes make the mistake of throwing all muslims in the same catagory. That is something we can not do, as it only furthers the cause of the terrorists.
From where I sit, it looks like the US and British government is at least trying to make a distinction between muslims and terrorists.
But seriously, I have another analogy. I don't know if you have children.... when your child does something very wrong do you do that same thing back to your child or do you try to show that that is unacceptable behaviour? For example, biting back a child that bites rarely has the desired effect of stopping the child from biting.
Of course there is no comparison between a child biting and the terrorists blowing people up but that doesn't mean it is suddenly OK to blow up the terrorists in order to stop them. We need to know and understand the motivation for their actions. Likewise we need to understand the motivation for the child biting and help them get over it.
I'm sorry I mistakenly thought you were lumping all Muslims with the terrorists, but you know, when you go posting what is is in effect a hate campaign on lots of blogs then I find it quite scary. We can not keep perpetuating this cycle of hate and killing.
Sure, the innocent are not being targeted by UK and US and other forces but they are in the firing line. Plenty of innocent people have been killed and we are not blameless.
I'm sorry, I could go on, and I'm sure you could too. But I've been distracted as they are now showing on the TV photographs of the missing they are trying to trace.
On your last point, I agree that our governments are trying to draw a distinction between the terrorists and Muslims but I fear that this is not how it is being interpretrated by many ordinary people in our countries.
From watching the news over here (Australia) I couldn't help but marvel at the resilience of the English and how superbly organised they appeared to be.
Yoou have much to be proud of.
Read that blog entry for a different kind of view.
Doris, I'm sorry, but I don;t think that comparing a child that is in your custody is the same as a terrorist!
I have three children, another one on the way and of course I would not bite them back when they bite me (and oh boy, do those little teeth hurt). I would try to reason with them, remove them from the situation, place them in another room/environment and do everything I can to get them to change their behavior.
I feel the US and the British government have done that. What about our countries diplamtic relationships with all of these heads of states over the past 40-50 years? What about the years of working through the UN trying to get Saddam to change his ways and to stop threatening all of his neighbours? What about allthe government aid given to arabic nations?
I'd like to believe that the marjority of muslims are good people, basing their way of life on the teachings of their religion, just like other faiths do.
The ones I was referring of "taking out" are the fanatics, the ones that are willing to blindly follow their leaders, the ones who've been brainwashed and that will strap explosives around their bellies coming into YOUR backyard trying to blow YOU and your way f life to all hell come, so they can go and enjoy their 12 virgins in the next life!
I am by no means a hate monger. I very much believe in fairness, respect and equality, BUT if somebody feels they have the right to come and attack our children, our brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, uncle, aunts and friends, then the gloves come off.
We have to eradicate terrorism and the people who promote it. It is a cancer that will ruin the way of life of the WORLD, of all human beings who share this planet.
People have to realize, like it or not, but we are at war!
Hello Daffy - thanks for your sentiments :-)
I guess I’m one of those religious fanatics that the Bossman spoke of. But in my religion we look at things just a little differently than most:
You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 5:38-45
That is perhaps the hardest thing to accept. Can there be a peaceful way to end the killing in this World? If we all continue to kill in retaliation I don’t know how we will ever know peace.
If we don't learn to seperate terrorists from Muslims then we're in for a lot of trouble.
We do in New York; our national government sees it a bit differently than we do.
Hello, Michele sent me.
Twist of Kate - now ain't that funny..... I went to yours because I thought you had been skipped over!
Hello Diana and Bonnie (different to the other Bonnie who I visit) - I look froward to visiting you both.
Glad you're safe.