h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As an American, I immediately recall the feelings of terror, hurt, disbelief, and confusion of 9/11 and know what those not immediately involved (meaning those that were not on the busses or subway) are feeling and would like to share my sympathy with all. I strongly feel something must be done to stop this. . .they started in the US, then Spain, and now London. This is planned. . .and they probably have more in mind. As a young member of society, I do not want to live in fear of terrorism my whole life. I don't know what we should do;to try to understand what they are planning or why would mean thinking at their level, and they are insane. I do not know what to do and hate that feeling, so for now, I will give my sympathies to everyone involved and to everyone in England who woke up this morning and turned on the news to the same gut-wrenching feeling I so vividly remember.
~Psycho

I think that we should not go down the 'revenge' route too quickly. What happened today was terrible and the people who perpetrated it should be despised, but we can't just go on invading random Middle Eastern countries.

(yes, I know it's not done at random, I just said that for effect)

Two factual errors need to be cleared up.

Terror attacks by AlQ and affiliates did NOT start with 9/11 not by a very long chalk.

Secondly in terms of terror reduction atleast one of the invasions under the war on terror banner was random in that it had nothing to do with a war against terror and has allowed for more terrorism rather than reducing it.

one love

- appreciate h2g2 setting up this chat link - I like reading everyone's thoughts and feelings - thanks - it helps -

are there any nerves left out there anywhere on this earth which don't reverberate and feel it, when something like this happens? - what a strange symphony of reverberation -

at 6.00 a.m. this morning I was typing a reply to a friend here on h2g2 - we were talking about writing - writing from the heart, writing with love -

it was a pure-light, silver dawn light. two hours later the blood of London was splattered all over everywhere -

I suppose as writers we have to take the changes - and feel it all with the mystery of words -

maybe one day those words could be employed into talking, just talking, really talking to each other - maybe I am a dreamer - who knows

all I know is that I am crying while I type this

Helen (cactuscafepart2)

My immediate thoughts were along the lines of how, with our current leadership in the UK who seems to follow the misguided premise of the US administration that this terrorist attack will achieve its aims.
I wait with an impending sense of 'someone let me out of this country' the political 'ground' that TB et al will attempt to get out of the lives of those that have directly been affected by todays attacks...
I feel sad that all I can see is the terrorists gains, as all previous evidence suggests that the attacks will just be used to provide 'increasing evidence' for the further reduction of civil rights.
I think I'll set fire to my radio the first time that a politition tries to use todays events as a method of justifiing the 'necessity' for ID cards....
Then of course, I had the normal feelings of hoping that everyone I knew in London was alright, and was in some ways quite relieved when my Boss rang at 1 PM (as we'd arranged) from central Lonodn, and also on recieving TXt messages from the few people I know who might have been in central London

I woke up this morning at 11am. I got up, put on my dressing gown and went downstairs. I wandered towards the kitchen, muttering something about hoovering before my mum got back from work. I got myself some breakfast and sat down in the conservatory. The sun was beating down with quite a heat. I switched on the television - and spilt my breakfast all over my dog.

I could not believe what I was seeing. LONDON BLASTS was the main headline plastered all over the screen. I wastched in utter confusion as the ongoing report continued. How? I thought. Who? WHY?? Of course, all trivial tasks like vacuuming were immediately forgotten. I didn't move from the T.V for the next hour and a half.

I would like to say how truly, truly sorry and sad I am towards all the victims and their families. I know that words can't really help all that much. But at least people know that WE CARE. I don't live anywhere near London (Scotland, near Gleneagles - ironic? I don't know), but I still feel the shockwaves that tear through this small island of ours. I am a 15-year old Scottish girl. I have no memories of IRA attacks, Locherby, etc. Today has shocked me to the core. "Nothing like that ever happens here" someone once told me. It's how I used to sleep at night when I was younger. I now know this not to be true.

I hope they catch the scum that did this. They have no place in our world.

Peace.

Laura (aka: Taz)

>>They have no place in our world.<<

They think that about us. We must not sink to their level, no matter how seductive it might be.

To answer the question, my immediate reaction (from here in Texas) was, "Oh, no, its Al Qaeda again". And then I get worried that the US (and British?) rednecks will start rousting Muslims - something that actually has not (so far) been a great problem since the World Trade Center.

But I always have to remind myself of Oklahoma City, my home town. The idiots that blew up the Federal Bldg. (and the people in it - "collateral damage" as they calmly described it) were white middle American citizens. One of them has now joined the people he killed - might be an interesting discussion they're having ...

I live near London and I'm a very angry person right now.
I do not ask for justice but fairness.
Justice has a nasty habit of being unjust to the victim.(seemingly so anyway)
How that comes to be is another matter.
I can only say that I hope the people responsible for these horrible actions, on their day of judgement, stand in front of their god and he fries their soles.

I've just realised

The name tagg has nothing to do with the horrible events happening in London. It's to do with a move to a more rural life that has been planned for a while now.

In October 2001, on my first-ever trip to England, I flew in to Gatwick, took a train to King's Cross, then had some lunch to pass the time until I could check into my hotel near the station. Flights from the U.S. to the U.K. usually arrive in the morning so I was glad to have a hotel with an early 1:00 PM check-in time.

One purpose of my trip had been to get the feel of the places I had read about in novels, biographies and histories - to get to know them more than as just some descriptive text or well-sketched map. I got only a taste of London. I did one of the tour-bus routes and took in Madame Tussaud's, Wigmore Hall, Poetry Cafe, National Portrait Gallery and some shopping on Oxford Street. And of course, I rode the Underground. The Tube. The Subway. The World in a world beneath the the streets.

Yes, I did get that sense of place, that hint of "how deep are we?" claustrophobia behind which was the unspoken, perhaps subconscious worry of "how safe are we?" Yes, I have ridden that Piccadilly line between King's Cross and Russell Square, at least once.

Yes, back in 1989 I did walk into the lobby of one of New York's World Trade Center towers.

Because I grew up outside the country of my birth and nationality, the sense of place has a strong emotional significance to me. My trip to England was in large part motivated by my desire to connect with my English roots through my father's side of the family. Much of my trip (and a return trip in September 2003) focused on Yorkshire because it was the one region where I had specific information about the English locale of any of my ancestors. But my very first night in England was at that hotel near King's Cross, probably only a few blocks from where today I have seen Christiane Amanpour giving her updates on CNN.

So yes, I was sad about what happened, because I remember the place. When it comes to the basic question of "Where are you from?" - a question that for me has never been easy or simple to answer - "I am from between Russell Square and King's Cross" has become a slightly stronger part of my answer.

>>For what it's worth, my guess is that London might just be the safest city in the world for the next couple of weeks.

I agree. We're planning to fly to the UK next Thursday for a holiday. I have no intention of changing that plan.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families today.

- Bethlyn

I remember my two trips to London with great fondness. It is a wonderful city. I traveled all over the place on the Tube. My condolences to Londoners.

The only three people who have come out of this with less than shining reputations are Bob Crow, who insists that tube drivers won't check for suspect packages as it's not their job and those two despicable berks George Galloway and Tariq Ali who have struck up a wholly inappropriate chorus of 'we told you so, you should have listened to our words of shining wisdom about Iraq' chorus.

Ars*h*l*s, all three of them. And Galloway in particular shows how much he reall y cares for the the city which he in part was elected to represent.

Bob Crow couldn't come out of a situation shining if he was coated in metal polish and forced through a buffing machine.

Actually, Otto posted something in another thread that made a little more sense of Crow's objections, which appear to mostly sttem from his drivers not being trained to do tunnel searches, which is what was being asked of them.

Dopesn't change my disgust and anger at Galloway and Ali, though.

I suppose it does, yes. Still don't like that bloke though. It also seems odd to me that LUL would *ask* drivers to do tunnel searches...

<>

Crow's talking about train inspections there... I'd be mightly surprised if LUL really had asked drivers to do tunnel checks.

As a descendant of Londoners bombed out in the blitz, and having grown up in the Midlands in the 70s and 80s, my thoughts and wishes are with everyone involved in yesterdays events..
I am so proud just now, of the emergency services, and those on London Transport, whos bravery and calmness is inspiring..
I am also proud to count myself British, with the stoicism, bravery, and openess that we have seen. I also thank God that my family members, friends, and fellow H2G2ers are accounted for, and the casualties seem to be fewer that could have been expected..

Keeping them all in the light


I just keep asking myself..

"Qui Bono?" Who benefits?.. I can't just keep blaming "Terrorists" or "Al Q" until we have reports from an Enquiry, and have a proper look at any evidence..