What Kind of People? What Kind of Country?
Monday night I went to bed as usual. It wasn't until I met BiL yesterday that I heard about what had happened in Manchester on Monday night.
A man had made a nail bomb, strapped it to himself and gone and blown himself up outside the Manchester Arena just as the audience were coming out.
At least 22 people were killed outright. 64 are still 'missing' or in hospital, some in 'critical' conditions. Many others are traumatised by what happened - what happened to them and what they saw of what happened to other people. Hello, Manchester. Welcome to what passes for daily 'life' in too many places worldwide (Iraq to name but one)!
Not that Manchester is going to let that get to them. See and hear Manchunian poet Tony Walsh's reponse here, made at the memorial service yesterday evening.
Not that that makes what happened in any way any less horrific. What makes it more so is that many of the audience that night were teenagers and 'tweenagers' (8-12 year olds), most of them girls, with their mothers.
Tell me, what kind of man (worthy of the name) attacks girls? What kind of ideology supports such depravity?
Mind you, having seen a picture of Ariana Grande (the main attraction at Monday evening's concert. Apparently very popular with 'tweenage' and younger teenage girls.) Where was I, oh yes, having seen a picture of Ariana Grande in one of her performance costumes (very short shorts and strappy top, loads of bare flesh on show) I'm also inclined to ask what kind of example is she, in her performance costumes, to young girls and young women?
There has been a lot of discussion about the too early 'sexualisation' of children, particularly girls. There's a lot of discussion about the objectifying of girls and women by putting them in revealing garb.
I, kinda, object to Ariana Grande's performance costumes and the example she gives. I can see how any even vaguely devout Muslim might. Not that that is any kind of justification for what happened.
There is some talk about how the bomber was 'known to Intelligence services'. There are people questioning why he hadn't been called in, and kept in.
Err, that kind of surveillance and behaviour by the police, Intelligence services, and armed forces is what happens in various restrictive regimes around the world eg: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Guatemala, Mexico, (to name but a few places. Saudi Arabia even has 'religious' police, and they are really tough.)
We certainly can't go 'round up' any Muslim 'just in case'. That really would be playing into the hands of the extremists - so-called Islamic or Little Englanders!
If you have any aspirations or pretentions at all to being a truly civilised and inclusive society you just cannot go round up anyone you suspect might be, even those you know are, trouble makers. It's just not compatible with being civilised and inclusive. That's a police state - like East Germany was (they had the Stazi), like Romania was, like Columbia is trying hard not to be, like Myanmar was. Like China still is in many ways. For that matter, like Russia seems to be flirting with becoming again.
And of course there's the (not so) small matter that the Government has been, year on year, cutting funding to police forces across the UK. They're kinda stretched keeping law and order as 'tis. Even if it was legal to round up potential, or even known, trouble makers/criminals/would-be bombers, would they have the resources these days?
My thoughts and prayers are with the families so terribly affected by the bombing. Also with the police as they try to sort through the mess.
I'm also glad to hear that electioneering has been postponed for another day. I am ashamed to be glad about this, given the reasons, but there you are. Any respite is welcome! I pray that this attack will not frighten the government, of whatever completion, into passing reactive, ill-thought-through and therefore bad laws.
I'm also almost inclined to think, 'Bring back the IRA!' At least when they made bombs they only accidentally blew themselves up. When they placed bombs they'd often ring the police to give warning of what they'd done. I'm ashamed of that too!
Right. Nuff for now. I shall write about my day in London tomorrow or Friday. All being well.
Y'all have a good, and safe, day now!
A man had made a nail bomb, strapped it to himself and gone and blown himself up outside the Manchester Arena just as the audience were coming out.
At least 22 people were killed outright. 64 are still 'missing' or in hospital, some in 'critical' conditions. Many others are traumatised by what happened - what happened to them and what they saw of what happened to other people. Hello, Manchester. Welcome to what passes for daily 'life' in too many places worldwide (Iraq to name but one)!
Not that Manchester is going to let that get to them. See and hear Manchunian poet Tony Walsh's reponse here, made at the memorial service yesterday evening.
Not that that makes what happened in any way any less horrific. What makes it more so is that many of the audience that night were teenagers and 'tweenagers' (8-12 year olds), most of them girls, with their mothers.
Tell me, what kind of man (worthy of the name) attacks girls? What kind of ideology supports such depravity?
Mind you, having seen a picture of Ariana Grande (the main attraction at Monday evening's concert. Apparently very popular with 'tweenage' and younger teenage girls.) Where was I, oh yes, having seen a picture of Ariana Grande in one of her performance costumes (very short shorts and strappy top, loads of bare flesh on show) I'm also inclined to ask what kind of example is she, in her performance costumes, to young girls and young women?
There has been a lot of discussion about the too early 'sexualisation' of children, particularly girls. There's a lot of discussion about the objectifying of girls and women by putting them in revealing garb.
I, kinda, object to Ariana Grande's performance costumes and the example she gives. I can see how any even vaguely devout Muslim might. Not that that is any kind of justification for what happened.
There is some talk about how the bomber was 'known to Intelligence services'. There are people questioning why he hadn't been called in, and kept in.
Err, that kind of surveillance and behaviour by the police, Intelligence services, and armed forces is what happens in various restrictive regimes around the world eg: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Guatemala, Mexico, (to name but a few places. Saudi Arabia even has 'religious' police, and they are really tough.)
We certainly can't go 'round up' any Muslim 'just in case'. That really would be playing into the hands of the extremists - so-called Islamic or Little Englanders!
If you have any aspirations or pretentions at all to being a truly civilised and inclusive society you just cannot go round up anyone you suspect might be, even those you know are, trouble makers. It's just not compatible with being civilised and inclusive. That's a police state - like East Germany was (they had the Stazi), like Romania was, like Columbia is trying hard not to be, like Myanmar was. Like China still is in many ways. For that matter, like Russia seems to be flirting with becoming again.
And of course there's the (not so) small matter that the Government has been, year on year, cutting funding to police forces across the UK. They're kinda stretched keeping law and order as 'tis. Even if it was legal to round up potential, or even known, trouble makers/criminals/would-be bombers, would they have the resources these days?
My thoughts and prayers are with the families so terribly affected by the bombing. Also with the police as they try to sort through the mess.
I'm also glad to hear that electioneering has been postponed for another day. I am ashamed to be glad about this, given the reasons, but there you are. Any respite is welcome! I pray that this attack will not frighten the government, of whatever completion, into passing reactive, ill-thought-through and therefore bad laws.
I'm also almost inclined to think, 'Bring back the IRA!' At least when they made bombs they only accidentally blew themselves up. When they placed bombs they'd often ring the police to give warning of what they'd done. I'm ashamed of that too!
Right. Nuff for now. I shall write about my day in London tomorrow or Friday. All being well.
Y'all have a good, and safe, day now!