London Bomb Blasts
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London Bomb Blasts
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4659093.stm
I don't know what to say... except that I'm angered and saddened beyond words.
Hoping and praying all London-based Watchers are safe.
I don't know what to say... except that I'm angered and saddened beyond words.
Hoping and praying all London-based Watchers are safe.
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I watched a bit of this developing on the news this morning. It looks to be quite bad. Hopefully there's not a great loss of life.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
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"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
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"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
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"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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- Alynna Lis Eachann
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I was half-asleep the first time my radio came on this morning, and I thought I'd dreamed this. What a sad shock to realize it's true. I hope all our London area Watchers and their families are safe.
"We probably could have saved ourselves, but we were too damned lazy to try very hard... and too damn cheap." - Kurt Vonnegut
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"Now if you remember all great paintings have an element of tragedy to them. Uh, for instance if you remember from last week, the unicorn was stuck on the aircraft carrier and couldn't get off. That was very sad. " - Kids in the Hall
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This is another sad day in history.
(((((ENGLAND)))))
My heart and love goes out to everyone affected. I pray that none of our friends or their families were hurt. I hope they will be able to let us know they are okay when they have a moment.
(((((ENGLAND)))))
My heart and love goes out to everyone affected. I pray that none of our friends or their families were hurt. I hope they will be able to let us know they are okay when they have a moment.
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Take that, you Varlet!
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Strength and courage to all affected by this cowardly attack. I have no doubt that Londoners will carry on as they have always done--with unflappable dignity and grace. Four bombs cause distraction and temporary chaos, and my heart goes out to those injured and the families of those killed, but it takes more than four bombs to demoralize Londoners--a group of people who survived almost a year of daily air raids, and 30 years of domestic terrorism.
In the face of terror, courage is victory. And Londoners have that in abundance. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
In the face of terror, courage is victory. And Londoners have that in abundance. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Halfway down the stairs Is the stair where I sit. There isn't any other stair quite like it. I'm not at the bottom, I'm not at the top; So this is the stair where I always stop.
- CovenantJr
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At first it was thought to be a power surge, and I heard on the radio (pfft, radio!) that there were twenty explosions and very high casualties. Fortunately that appears to be inaccurate.
Damn straight. This kind of stuff was sadly pretty commonplace while I was growing up. Despite the claims, I don't think it's al-Qaeda; I'm inclined to think it's yet another cheesed off IRA splinter faction. It usually is.Myste wrote:it takes more than four bombs to demoralize Londoners--a group of people who survived almost a year of daily air raids, and 30 years of domestic terrorism
I think the contrast to yesterday's high makes todays events somehow seem even more shocking. The activities of Irish Republican groups in the 80s and 90s are a living memory for most of the British population, but they somehow seem less visceral than todays attacks. Perhaps this is because the IRA's targets were political and civilian casualties were usually bystanders, whereas today was an attack on a way of life and civilians were the target.
I feel fortunate that none of my friends and relatives in the city were caught up in any of the explosions, although one former colleague had debarked a train in Kings Cross only a few minutes beforehand.
Though I'm not always his biggest fan, I think Ken Livingstone's message today's perpetrators sums up the feelings of many:
I feel fortunate that none of my friends and relatives in the city were caught up in any of the explosions, although one former colleague had debarked a train in Kings Cross only a few minutes beforehand.
Though I'm not always his biggest fan, I think Ken Livingstone's message today's perpetrators sums up the feelings of many:
"I know that you personally do not fear giving up your own life in order to take others - that is why you are so dangerous. But I know you fear that you may fail in your long-term objective to destroy our free society and I can show you why you will fail.
"In the days that follow you will see that people from around the world will arrive in London to fulfil their dreams and achieve their potential.
"They choose to come to London to live the life they choose. They flee you because you tell them how they should live. Nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our cities where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail."
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- CovenantJr
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I'm aware of this. But various active groups always claim responsibility for these things; it doesn't mean a thing. It's usually either an IRA offshoot or a bunch of random nutters.Usivius wrote:Actually a sect of Al-Queda has claimed responsibility... Not that it matters to those affected.
Either way, as you say, it doesn't matter to those affected.
Excellently said."They choose to come to London to live the life they choose. They flee you because you tell them how they should live. Nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our cities where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail."
I lived in London during the '96 IRA outburst (Canary Wharf, a double-decker on The Strand , Old Brompton Road, ec.), and all those were claimed almost immediately by the IRA. I don't discount the splinter group theory at all--I think it's quite possible. But the fact that no credible group has claimed responsibility yet--and the fact that the targets were purely civilian--makes me tend towards foreign terrorism.Nav wrote: The activities of Irish Republican groups in the 80s and 90s are a living memory for most of the British population, but they somehow seem less visceral than todays attacks. Perhaps this is because the IRA's targets were political and civilian casualties were usually bystanders...
But in the end, the responsibility is less important than the reaction, which I think has been nothing less than sterling. Brits rock!
Halfway down the stairs Is the stair where I sit. There isn't any other stair quite like it. I'm not at the bottom, I'm not at the top; So this is the stair where I always stop.