Manchester attack

My condolences to the families of those killed; a truly barbaric attack on innocence has taken place.

 

Indeed. Any attack is horrific, but I've been sick thinking about the bomber deliberately targeting children and teens. My thoughts are with the people of Manchester and the UK and especially the victims and their families and friends. No one should have to experience an attack like this, but it's a shame that something that brings these girls and young people happiness will now forever be associated with such an ugly act.

 

Agree with both of you. Condolences to the victims families.

 

Takes a real loser to murder children.

 

You're not helping.

 

Cruel and cowardly.. and sickeningly tragic. I will never understand why a suicide nutcase doesn't just kill themselves only.

From the Guardian: "The man who murdered 22 people and injured 59 others has been named as Salman Ramadan Abedi, a Mancunian of Libyan descent."

Manchester is a very multi-cultural part of England and it is of some comfort to see all members of the community supporting each other and not letting one man take away the spirit of human courage and decency.. for all.

 

I had to write something on my Facebook about it, I'll paste it hear its just how it made me feel, I actually cried at work today when I saw a video of the woman looking for her 15yr old daughter..

Had a lot of thoughts to collect today and I had to write something. Like a lot of people I suspect I couldn't help but think of my own children caught up in an attack like today's. The day is ending with the terror alert level raised to "critical", there could be more to come. There will be, even if it isn't tomorrow. We have only seen the start of the heartbreaking stories, just from this attack.

I keep seeing the trailer for the new movie "Dunkirk", and I hope it means people start learning the right lessons from World War 2, because a lot of people who stand in front of the British flag these days have more in common with the Nazis than with anything we fought for in WW2.

Dunkirk is a good lesson to learn. We took a beating, surrounded and about to fall, most of the British army. Even as the RAF fought desperately to protect them, the Navy suffered terrible casualties sailing in to pick up troops. When that wasn't enough, civilians got in their little ships and sailed across the channel to pick up whoever they could. Without the "miracle of Dunkirk" the evil that had risen in Germany might never have been defeated. The evil in Germany slaughtered millions of innocent children, it hated, it drove a country mad.

Whenever one of these terrible attacks occur, we see the same evil. Children were deliberately targeted, kids just out to see a pop concert, harmless innocent children were murdered by an evil man. The successors to the people who saved us at Dunkirk are brave emergency services personnel who went in, treated, used incredible skill, determination and technology and saved lives. When that wasn't enough people comforted the dying, some gave free taxi rides. They did whatever they could.

Just as Germans were not all evil, neither are all Muslims, by any stretch of the imagination. An evil has risen in this country, and all we can do is fight it with the weapons we have. These might be actual weapons for the police or army, or a PC and a patient mind for MI5. They are just as likely to be vigilance and courage, or simply the power to reunite a child with their family with a free taxi ride. The crews of the little ships just had small boats, after all.

We are involved in a war now, no doubt about it. However as JRR Tolkien observed, darkness is never defeated, it goes away and takes another form. That form can be murdering children but it also sneaks into the hearts of otherwise decent people, the kind now screaming about deporting all Muslims, hate, fear and prejudice are far more dangerous to what we are than bombs. After a year when that kind of evil has come closer to the surface than ever in recent memory, we can't give in to it.

We can fight the war every day, be decent, take care of each other and build a better world. Be compassionate, be the very best we all can be. Hope, measured reasoned debate, sensitivity, inclusivity, determination and courage will defeat this new evil. Not just in Britain but globally, we need to be better and do better.

We will be the best humanity can be, and we are not afraid

 

You are correct. I apologize

 

Horrific and heartbreaking.

 

Very sad. Sometimes I feel like I have lost faith with humanity. Now, I feel less wanting to be engaged with some people online. I feel sorry for all those children.

 

Anyone watch One Love Manchester? I listened to bits of it on the radio. From what I heard, the performances and speeches, it was very uplifting and moving.