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

I humbly ask those involved in this discussion to please try and refrain from political, religious, or ideological quarrelling.

I think it is an appalling lack of sensitivity to insult one another at this time, when it is perhaps more appropriate to demonstrate compassion and tolerance.

A terrible tragedy has occurred, and many innocent people have lost their lives, and many children have lost their fathers, or their mothers, and many mothers and fathers have lost their children.

Please show respect for their loss, as they would for yours.

Peace starts right here.

I agree wholeheartedly.

A quote from WH Auden's poem "September 1 1939" (copyright should be expired). About the rise of Hitler, but the first stanza eerily prescient still:

I sit in one of the dives
On Fifty-second Street
Uncertain and afraid
As the clever hopes expire
Of a low dishonest decade:
Waves of anger and fear
Circulate over the bright
And darkened lands of the earth,
Obsessing our private lives;
The unmentionable odour of death
Offends the September night.

As do I...this whole recent discussion concords perfectly with my view - people looking for people to blame, or looking for where the cycle of hatred started. It doesn't matter for the moment why this happened. Noone even knows who is responsible, there are just a lot of wild assumptions going around. Thousands of people have died today, and in the end maybe one out of every thousand of them will have been connected to whatever the reason ends up being. If the US government makes "no distinction between the people responsible for these actions and those who harboured them" as President Bush said, and strikes out in retaliation, then thousands more may die, again maybe 1 out of a thousand of whom will have had any connection to this. Death counts cannot be made to balance. Violence does not sooth the damage done by violence. Terrorism is still terrorism whether carried out by an individual, a faction, or a government, and the vast majority of people who die as a result will not care what the difference was. NOTHING can justify it.

Cthulhu, I could not agree more.

Does anyone know if there is any sort of emergency set up for the children? I just spent some time watching my daughter sleep, and it hurts my soul to realize that thousands of children are without their mothers and fathers, aunts, uncles, grandparents...I wish i had arms big enough to hug them, to tell them that mommy or daddy or gramma didn't want to leave them...

Shalom

Has anyone herd the number of missing people has reachd over 2500.

Here here
This is not the time or place to make accusations.
Please, let's just remember that there are people who need our compassion right now.

Right.

first of all, deep sympathies to *all* Americans... I can't begin to imagine how you are feeling.

I have a question for people on university campuses wherever you may be, what's the feeling like there, at the moment? Living on campus here, its pretty good, the American and Afghani and concerned students have all gathered together, and are receiving councelling... there are fears though that some of the American students may get violent towards the students that are Muslims, is this the same anywhere else?

magrat.

The American Embassy in New Zealand has been inundated with and messages of sympathy

Likewise at the American Embassy in Stockholm.
The candles have burned through the night.

The world is sick. Nobody behaves in a manner fit to be known as human. I totally agree with you we all need to stop for a bit and examine not just our government but ourselves. Since the Islamic extreemist group claimed responsibility I have heard so much racist crap from people. So many people are looking for revenge I think we should search for peace. Instead of crying out for revange we should try to look at what drove people to do this and adress that situation.

An American would have to be extremely stupid and racist to strike out against a Muslim. I'd say there is a stereotype present of all Muslims supporting terrorism, but it is not a widely held or believed view. It's just too incredible.

That isn't to say, though, that such things haven't happened. There's been at least a couple threats against Muslims near my community (I live in California, USA), though none carried out. I don't anticipate anything actually happening.

Now, if someone round here starts jumping up and celebrating over the attacks, they're going to be in a world of hurt, Muslim or not. Especially if I catch word of it...

Wampus

I lit a candle last night too

This is the first time i've been able to get on line. i can't express how i feel; shock; terror; fear; a tremendous feeling of love and sympathy for those actually caught up in it. the thing i do know as missing is hope. i desperately want to see something good coming out of it, i really do.

my sympathies with everyone

angels on your body

W****E

Couldn't connect last night to express my horror, upset,, sick feeling. I hope that Shea and the other New Yorkers and americans are all safe. My heart, my tears and my love goes out to youand your families, friends and acquantances all.

The ABC news (Australia) this evening said that a schoolbus carrying children was stoned in Brisbane this afternoon, just because they were Muslim. Please let's keep this from escalating... wherever we can....

In Brisbane?! Oh jeez...

No-one was hurt but still..... and to everyone