The London bombings - One year on

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Kenobi, Obi-Wan
Britain fell silent at noon (BST - GMT+1) for two minutes to mark the anniversary of the London bombings which claimed 52 lives and injured hundreds. The silence is one of the events taking place to commemorate the 7 July suicide attacks on the capital.

RIP

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5153678.stm

Arachnoidfreak
Those damn terrorists had to do it on my birthday too. Now everytime I celebrate it's on a day of a national tradgety. Grr.

jaden101
Originally posted by Arachnoidfreak
Those damn terrorists had to do it on my birthday too. Now everytime I celebrate it's on a day of a national tradgety. Grr.

harsh...but happy birthday anyway

i know there are a few Londoners on the board and i dont want to offend anyone but all the talk on the tv about how london showed "the blitz mentallity" etc etc after the attacks....i've never heard such drivel in my life...as brilliant a city as London is...it's the most unfriendly place i've been to in my life...and given that i've been to rio, moscow amd caracas that's saying something

Scottie
Originally posted by jaden101
harsh...but happy birthday anyway

i know there are a few Londoners on the board and i dont want to offend anyone but all the talk on the tv about how london showed "the blitz mentallity" etc etc after the attacks....i've never heard such drivel in my life...as brilliant a city as London is...it's the most unfriendly place i've been to in my life...and given that i've been to rio, moscow amd caracas that's saying something

london isnt unfriendly

lord xyz
Bastards. disgust

xmarksthespot
It's sad and all... but more than 52 people probably died in those two minutes due to preventable disease, famine and drought.

Fiann@
What a way to trivialise a tragic event. blink

Alpha Centauri
Originally posted by Scottie
london isnt unfriendly

Hahahahahaha.

Anyway, moving on with more realistic claims: I think it's all ridiculously self-indulgent, to be honest.

The last thing I'm sure these families and victims want, is to be reminded.

-AC

KidRock
Originally posted by Arachnoidfreak
Those damn terrorists had to do it on my birthday too. Now everytime I celebrate it's on a day of a national tradgety. Grr.

Yeah, my cousins b-day is on september 11th.

Syren
Originally posted by jaden101
harsh...but happy birthday anyway

i know there are a few Londoners on the board and i dont want to offend anyone but all the talk on the tv about how london showed "the blitz mentallity" etc etc after the attacks....i've never heard such drivel in my life...as brilliant a city as London is...it's the most unfriendly place i've been to in my life...and given that i've been to rio, moscow amd caracas that's saying something

Is that relevant? How friendly or unfriendly a city was when you visited shouldn't really feature in our thoughts regarding the people who died.

Syren
Originally posted by xmarksthespot
It's sad and all... but more than 52 people probably died in those two minutes due to preventable disease, famine and drought.

Why would you even feel the need to point that out? We are all well aware that people die every day from natural causes, but it doesn't make each death easier to bear, you can't just shrug your shoulders and say something so callous. Have a little heart.

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
Anyway, moving on with more realistic claims: I think it's all ridiculously self-indulgent, to be honest.

The last thing I'm sure these families and victims want, is to be reminded.

-AC

How is it self indulgent? Who are we supposed to be indulging? I certainly don't gain any pleasure or self satisfaction from remembering the event or feeling pity for those who died, or those who lost someone.

How the hell can showing a little sympathy for loss be wrong?

Syren
Sorry for the triple post, I got a little ahead of myself embarrasment

jaden101
Originally posted by Syren
Is that relevant? How friendly or unfriendly a city was when you visited shouldn't really feature in our thoughts regarding the people who died.

it's relevant to the fact that they used the so called blitz mentallity and London's false image of a city united as if it were a weapon against the terrorists

saying that...they did claim that London wasn't changed by the terrorist acts a year ago and they're right...it was an unfriendly place before the attacks and it's still an unfriendly place now

Deano
Originally posted by Syren
How the hell can showing a little sympathy for loss be wrong?

create a thread for the people who have died in iraq then.

i have lost people through death, and i didnt want people giving me sympathy. that might just be me tho.

Alpha Centauri
Originally posted by Syren
How is it self indulgent? Who are we supposed to be indulging? I certainly don't gain any pleasure or self satisfaction from remembering the event or feeling pity for those who died, or those who lost someone.

How the hell can showing a little sympathy for loss be wrong?

Then feel pity on your own, by yourself. Arrange your own two minutes of silence if you feel so strongly on the matter.

I don't see why every survivor or victim of loss should be reminded further of such an event by every newspaper, tv news show and radio broadcast, just so you and the rest of this country can say "Look, we remember when your husbandbrother/sister/partner/daughter/son/mother/father etc died. It's sad isn't it?".

Yes, it's incredibly tragic that this is the state of the modern world, people blowing each other up. It is sad, and I can agree there. However, I don't think any of them need to be reminded. One year on and most people are probably trying their hardest to move on to the best of their ability, how dare you make it some national beacon of reminder?

If you want to pity them, then that's up to you, do it on your own time. It's probably hard enough for the poor people as it is, let alone having everyone going "Aww". If you had any REAL compassion you'd get what I'm saying.

Furthermore, I hate the fact that this city isn't counting it's chickens that we didn't get it a lot worse, because it sure as hell could have been. When we have an act committed against us that is equal to that of September the 11th, then we can react like that. I think it's disgraceful that people try to refer to it -and subsequently market it- as 7/7, in some kind of "Look, America. We're in the same boat." sympathy moment. July 7th was tragic, but we got "lucky", and don't you ever forget that.

-AC

Deano
what the people of 7/11 have suffered was unimaginable, but where is
the outpouring of grief, the government statements of regret and a minutes silence for the tens of thousands of iraqis who have been killed and maimed as a result of the American and British invasion of that country?
are they not worthy of the same respect and response?

thats what annoys me slightly about people in general because they are trapped in the 'proud to be british program' and 'proud to be american program' where only there 'own' are more important. thats the feeling i get about folks

Alpha Centauri
The issue I have is not with people feeling pity or grief, expressing sympathy or well wishes. It's with the whole "We have to make this a massive national advertising campaign.".

If it's such an unforgettable event, why make everyone remember? It wouldn't be because even those involved are probably TRYING to move on and put it behind them, would it?

"NO! Look! This isn't forgettable! We must remind everyone!".

If you want to do your silence, express your grief or plant your wreathes, then do it, but I guarantee you that if everyone wasn't reminded, a HUGE amount of people would forget. That's why they remind everyone. Instead of using the best way to combat terrorism, that being to say "F*ck you, we're not letting this stop us moving on and living life", the media takes a day to say "Everyone stop doing anything, remember this and be sad.". It's backward, to the highest order.

Furthermore, people only do it because everyone else does. As soon as the measly two minutes are up, it's "Yeah so then she said to me...". Nobody actually cares, at least be honest about it.

-AC

autumn dreams
I agree with you somewhat, AC. Terrorist attacks are not the sort of thing you want to be made to remember.

Every year, on the anniversary of September 11, we see that same old, same old footage of planes crashing into buildings, people covered in blood, screaming, dying etc. Do we have to be reminded of something no one is ever going to forget?

Londoners will never forget the bombings. It's wonderful to have a day of rememberance, but people do not need to see those frighting images of blood and gore on their TV screens again.

xmarksthespot
Originally posted by Fiann@
What a way to trivialise a tragic event. blink No, a good way to trivialise a tragic event is to hold two minutes silence and actually think it makes any impact whatsoever. It is just self-indulgence.Originally posted by Syren
you can't just shrug your shoulders and say something so callous. Originally posted by Syren
We are all well aware that people die every day from natural causesWhat an interestingly oxymoronic statement.
Originally posted by Syren
but it doesn't make each death easier to bearObviously some are easier to bear. Otherwise we'd be silent all the time and this entire forum would be "2,300 people died today of malaria."

Preventable disease, famine and drought aren't exactly natural causes, being preventable and all. no expression

Alpha Centauri
That's exactly what I said about those two minutes, X. It's precisely right.

First off, a much less amount of people would have remembered the 7th of July had they not been reminded. Second, how many people simple just shut up for two minutes because everyone else does? Maybe they spend a couple seconds thinking about it, but then it's back to talking about last night's soap opera or the football.

I just think all this grieving should be done on your own time.

-AC

autumn dreams
Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
First off, a much less amount of people would have remembered the 7th of July had they not been reminded. Second, how many people simple just shut up for two minutes because everyone else does? Maybe they spend a couple seconds thinking about it, but then it's back to talking about last night's soap opera or the football.

I just think all this grieving should be done on your own time.

-AC

Agreed. I wouldn't have know it was the first year anniversary of the London bombings had the media not reminded me by plastering my TV screen with images of blood soaked people.

Arachnoidfreak
Originally posted by Deano
what the people of 7/11 have suffered was unimaginable, but where is
the outpouring of grief, the government statements of regret and a minutes silence for the tens of thousands of iraqis who have been killed and maimed as a result of the American and British invasion of that country?
are they not worthy of the same respect and response?

thats what annoys me slightly about people in general because they are trapped in the 'proud to be british program' and 'proud to be american program' where only there 'own' are more important. thats the feeling i get about folks

That's the sentiment EVERYWHERE, not just America or Britain. Who gives a shit if the enemy dies? That's always been the mentality, since the beginning of human beings.

Bardock42
Wow, I feel an urge to post "London's Burning" lyrics in thios thread...I'm an evil ****.

Arachnoidfreak
Originally posted by xmarksthespot


Preventable disease, famine and drought aren't exactly natural causes, being preventable and all. no expression

Disease is natural. Immune systems are natural. Medication is not. The cure is what is unnatural, not the death.

And I like how you broke her sentence in half and took the first half out of context to make a comment on it.

Syren
Broke my darn sentence into three pieces, so he did... messed it all around and stuff.

But I have to say, having read the responses to my posts, I've been told. And I agree. But I still think arguing with one another about whether it's better to sympathise or not is unfair. Each to their own and, as AC said, sympathising alone would probably be more genuine a statement of sadness.

xmarksthespot
Originally posted by Arachnoidfreak
Disease is natural. Immune systems are natural. Medication is not. The cure is what is unnatural, not the death.Be sure to bear that in mind the next time you get sick.
Originally posted by Arachnoidfreak
And I like how you broke her sentence in half and took the first half out of context to make a comment on it. Thanks, I do too. smileOriginally posted by Syren
Each to their own and, as AC said, sympathising alone would probably be more genuine a statement of sadness. Yes it would.

Bloigen
Originally posted by Kenobi, Obi-Wan
Britain fell silent at noon

Britain fell silent?

I didn't see anyone quiet where I was.

Deano
Originally posted by Arachnoidfreak
Disease is natural. Immune systems are natural. Medication is not. The cure is what is unnatural, not the death.

And I like how you broke her sentence in half and took the first half out of context to make a comment on it.

there is no need to cut out bits of the body to 'cure' people. We just have to restore vibrational harmony to replace the disharmony that causes dis-ease. and we do that through vibrational means, not the scalpel and the drug.

autumn dreams
Originally posted by Arachnoidfreak
That's the sentiment EVERYWHERE, not just America or Britain. Who gives a shit if the enemy dies? That's always been the mentality, since the beginning of human beings.

America is the enemy of Iraqis. Iraqis believe THEY are in the right, so they grieve over their loves ones. Besides, the vast majority of Iraqis killed due to Bush's war have been innocent. They are not the enemy.

Arachnoidfreak
Originally posted by xmarksthespot
Be sure to bear that in mind the next time you get sick.
Thanks, I do too. smile

I bear do bear that in mind everytime I get sick. Did I say medication was a bad thing? No. I said it was unnatural.

And too bad for you that when you put her quote back in context, it makes your comment look silly.

xmarksthespot
Not really. In the context of this thread the statement is still very ironic. Some deaths are obviously clearly easier to ignore than others.

Arachnoidfreak
Originally posted by xmarksthespot
Not really. In the context of this thread the statement is still very ironic. Some deaths are obviously clearly easier to ignore than others.

No, she was pointing out that people die everyday but(that's a very important word in this sentence) that doesn't make the deaths easier to bear.

Now that, in context, means something else completely than when you seperate the two into "you can't just shrug your shoulders and say something so callous" and "We are all well aware that people die every day from natural causes".

xmarksthespot
Originally posted by Arachnoidfreak
No, she was pointing out that people die everyday but(that's a very important word in this sentence) that doesn't make the deaths easier to bear.

Now that, in context, means something else completely than when you seperate the two into "you can't just shrug your shoulders and say something so callous" and "We are all well aware that people die every day from natural causes". Hmm.. strange. When I point out lots of people die, it's callous. When she points out lots of people die, it's all good in the hood. Ok.

Syren
It wasn't as simple as that.

Alpha Centauri
Originally posted by Syren
It wasn't as simple as that.

Because you overcomplicated it. It is that simple when you make it that simple and get down to bare bones.

-AC

Alpha Centauri
Originally posted by Arachnoidfreak
No, she was pointing out that people die everyday but(that's a very important word in this sentence) that doesn't make the deaths easier to bear.

If you truly believe she is as upset about every single child dying in Africa as she is about the July 7th bombings, I'd think again.

She lives her everyday life not thinking about, or paying homage to, those people, and if she says she does, I'll call her a liar. However, she's taking time to think about, and pay homage to, the bomb victims. Clearly some deaths are easier to ignore. You don't have to bear with deaths in Africa, or anywhere if they don't concern you. It's ok to say so, you know? Stop worrying about what people might think if you're not concerned about everyone, and admit that you aren't.

-AC

Dawson
It seems much shorter than a year to me. I suppose my sense of time is distorted.

Anyway, as far as expressing sympathy goes, I agree with AC (as if I disagree with him often). I would rather it if I was not forced to remember something that I don't wish to. I don't want bad memories shoved down my throat, and I'm quite certain that the people more closely involved want it even less than I do. If they chose to remember it, allow them to do it in their own way. I do not recall what it was for now, but when I was much younger I remember standing outside on a rainy night under an umbrella, holding a candle, and singing softly to myself. And I was suddenly very happy and very sad at the same time; I suppose I was having a "moment", but nothing even remotely close to that had crossed my heart earlier in the day, and, if I recall, there had been some national remembrance of something or another.

I find it quite cruel to force people to remember what could quite possibly be the worst day of their lives if they don't wish to do it.

Koenig
Originally posted by Bloigen
Britain fell silent?

I didn't see anyone quiet where I was.

Same here and I was in my local supermarket, not a word over the shops PA system.

dancehall
2 mins grieving isnt enough i think. those who died, be it anywhere!they didnt ask for it, yet they lost their lives.we should show respect to them!

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