Portentious? Moi?
I wasn't in London when the bombs exploded. Like many people, I havn't yet heard from all of my friends there. In fact, I found I was reluctant to try to contact them, as even that felt like a form of surrender. (That proud British disdain for hysteria, which is generally only permissable in relation to sport and unseasonal weather.)
I do know that many people have been suddenly killed and injured, and that if they were representative of London, they will have been from all sorts of different countries and cultures, most of them feeling at home in at least parts of that diverse, exuberant, bold, dynamic, expensive, surprising city, for all its frustrations.
Few of them will have held particularly strong political views (probably less than half of those eligible will have voted). Some probably marched against the last war in Iraq, unpersuaded of the case - and the urgency - as it was presented, and fearful about the foreseeable consequences.
Few would have been avid readers of the international pages, but most would have had some concern for 'the problems of the world'. Some will have been wearing 'Make Poverty History' wristbands, cheered by the novel prospect of influencing the leaders of the world's largest economies to follow the relatively simple, optimistic prescriptions of the Live8 campaign.
I don't suppose many of them had thought much about the prospect of an untimely death, or debilitating injury.
It's encouraging to hear that there is a general resolve to carry on regardless, even in the face of the prospect of further attacks. It's easy when you consider the alternatives; after all, like others around the world, we've lived with the threat for years.
I was particularly touched to receive a message of concern from a friend who was born in a refugee camp. She still lives there today, being accepted as a citizen in neither Bhutan, where her people are from, nor Nepal, where they sought refuge, and have remained through the recent years of civil war. So my thoughts are not just with shocked Londoners, but all who have lived through violent times, who continue to do so, and those who did not. May we continue to look out for one another.
And already the stage is set for an unforgettable, celebratory Olympics in 2012.
Extra: a rare BBC World report on the stateless Bhutanese refugees in Nepal
5 Comments:
well said.
There´s nothing to say when we face stupidity like those acts that killed (and unfortunately will continue killing) innocents.
At least I´m glad to know you´re safe and ok.
"In fact, I found I was reluctant to try to contact them, as even that felt like a form of surrender".
Intresting view.This can be made into a seperate topic to discuss.
Anyways nice pic.what is it?A car light??
"In fact, I found I was reluctant to try to contact them, as even that felt like a form of surrender".
How true - I almost apologised for it as I did it.....
It turned out that among the dead were people whose families were originally from Poland, Nigeria, Ghana, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, Israel, Tunisia, Italy and Vietnam as well as Britain. They were all Londoners, since it's not where you're from that matters, but where you're at. Most were on their way to work when they were killed by those misguided young men from Leeds. I don't know about the 700 injured, but the point is made.
Senthil - yes, the rear light of a car.
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