Choose life
Yesterdays events were horrific, disturbing and undoubtably traumatic for anyone involved. Everyone’s thoughts are with those who have suffered loss or injury.
The thing that stood out most for me, was the resilience… some called it blitz spirit whilst for others the realisation that an event of this kind was to be expected meant a chilling kind of “oh well, could of been worse” attitude.
Close friends and regular readers will know one of my main philosophies in life:
Things happen, its how you deal with it that counts.
Yes it was terrible, yes by all means have a concern for friends and loved ones, but don’t be paralised by negative questioning.
Why do these things happen?
Why would anyone want to harm innocent people?
Who should we attack in retaliation?
Educate yourself, learn lessons and move on.
Some people seem unable to comprehend that we are all responsible, by our inaction on some of the main issues on the planet today.
Imagine living in a country, where everyday is a battle for survival for you and your family. Spending all your time, watching those around you suffer from disease, famine and war. Having no access to education, no freedom of expression, no food to eat or clean water to drink.
Then someone comes along, offering your whole family security, money, water and clothing, provided you join them in a battle against those who created your way of life. (If you don’t have access to information, how can you know this isn’t true?)
Maybe you live in an occupied country, where military oppression is all you’ve ever known and these people constantly bombard and bulldoze the homes of people around you. You’re desperate to secure the lives of those around you against these people who seem infinitely better equiped.
Perhaps someone offers your children free education and a way out, you’d send them… even if these schools offered education along with radical indoctorine.
Not so hard to understand now is it? Desperate people do desperate things.
Understand the issues, reflect on the events, take appropriate action (here for starters) but don’t give these people what they want, disruption and division amongst us.
I’m sorry Lukey but I can’t agree with you here. I read this entry a couple of days ago and its bothered me since. So, having done some reading I have come to the conclusion that throughout history terrorists seem to be from no less privileged backgrounds than the rest of us, in fact the Jacobins who started the whole thing were the elite of society. I understand where you are coming from with your arguments and I know there are people who resort to desperate measures because of poverty. Those who commited the attrocities of Thursday don’t appear to be from that back ground. I’m not very eloquent with words and have gone on enough already, but if your interested read ‘The West and the rest: globilisation and the terrorist threat’ by Roger Srunton. I guess all I’m trying to say is don’t make excuses or apologise for those who think that they can force people into doing what they want by using mindless violence, whatever their background or wherever they are from.
Very valid point and you’re spot on. Terrorists come from all walks of life, lets not forget that Osama Bin Laden is a rich Saudi!
But thats not really what I was trying to say, this entry was more about the way that poverty helps to grow these organisations and how disenfranchised people can do things beyond our comprehension.