Just heard the news... London. So sad. Please check in, dear ones,

[Stormchild]

We will all be thinking of and worrying about you and your friends and loved ones... please check in, dear UK folks, once you have a chance to catch your breath, and do let us know how you are.

What else is there to say? I woke up and turned on the radio and heard about the London bombings first thing. I haven't even gone to an online newspaper yet, I wanted to come here first. I'll be spending most of the day in prayer for you, please check in when you get a chance, although I understand that this won't be anything like the first thing you think of now, nor should it be.

Crying for you, and for

"This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,--
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England."

[gfn]

I'm very, very, very sorry to hear about what happened and I pray that you board members and guests, in the UK, are safe and sound!  Also, my prayers for your friends and families and for all those who have been injured or killed.  God bless you all!!

Like Stormy, I haven't visited any news site.....just heard on the radio, over here in Canada, and wanted to send you all a big, huge, giant, massive, great, large hug:

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((all UK people)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

God bless you and keep you safe!!1

I feel so sad and angry to hear what has happened and I hope somehow that it turns out to be an accident, rather than the sick behaviour of some individuals.

GFN

[Cadbury]

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers - that is so kind of you. I have only just heard from my baby sister (well, she's 20, but will always be the baby) who was in London today. From when we heard about the bombings until we heard she was okay was about 3 1/2 hours and they were some of the most worrying hours of my life. She is okay, thank God.

I hope everyone else and all their families are okay. My prayers are with the people who have lost friends or family. Take care everyone.

[lynne]

((((((((((UK)))))))))))

I'm so sorry to hear of the terrorist attacks in London. 

Lynne

[Portia]

Hello Storm and Gfn, well. Thank you for your messages and my wishes also go to everyone else in the uk. Good to hear from you Cadbury. Hi Lynne too, long time! (Sorry... might be another Lynne?)

Looks like whichever group is responsible did this to wreck the transport system at rush hour - not to kill as many people as possible (fatalities are few so far). But sick stuff again I'm afraid. Violence is not an acceptable language.

[Brigid]

To all our friends in the UK,
So sorry for the news this morning.  It was good to hear from Cadbury and Portia and know you are safe and sound. 

Sending you all hugs and blessings.

Brigid

[daylily]

So sorry to learn of this.  I hope all of the UK participants and their loved ones are safe.

daylily

[October]

No man is an island entire of itself;
every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the maine;
if a Clod be washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse,
as well as if a Promontorie were,
as well as if a Manor of thy friends or of thine own were.
Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde.
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls.
It tolls for thee.

John Donne

[write]

I hadn't seen this Stormchild. Well, surely puts my trivial problems in perspective. I have several friends and relatives in London, hoping they're all safe. Praying for the missing and injured.

[Jona]

I spent the whole day worrying about the three people I know that work in central London.  They are all ok but one of them was on one of the trains that was bombed.  My husband is doing some work on his house and was surprised to see him come home in the middle of the afternoon.  My husband said his face was ashen and he was very shook up.

I hope all of the posters here are safe and their loved ones too.

Jona

[bunny]

My condolences are with all who live in London and the UK. They can never break an Englishman (or woman). Hugs, bunny

[write]

this will be so hard on many people in Britain, not only those affected, but all those affected by the many years of terrorism there; it will bring back so many unhappy memories. I am sad for my country tonight.

The day before was so happy for London too, learning that they will host the next Olympic Games, I got several excited emails...

[Sela]

Hi Write:

Congratulations to your country for winning the host to the next Olympics!!!I'm sorry that these jerks managed to take away your joy about that!  You guys would have been celebrating and now, instead, you are mourning.

I am glad that the number of people killed was not higher and sad for those who lost family members/friends.      Also very sad for those who were hurt.

I just keep thinking about it and I just don't get people who terrorize.  I grew up in a house with one individual who seemed to enjoy instilling terror and I still don't understand him...except to accept that he was sick.  Thinking of a whole group/or groups of people who think nothing of ......killing and injuring others and who are... glad about the terror they instill.... just sickens me.  How can they have such little regard for life?  How can people behave like such animals?  How can they justify what they do and consider themselves good/like heros?  How can they watch the suffering of others and enjoy it??

I wish they could be caught and stopped but they won't be.  There will always be more of them, marching behind them, more following in their footsteps.. to carry on their terror.  It's so depressing!

I'm usually a fairly positive person but in regard to this problem......I just don't see a resolution.  It's an evil that reigns in this world and it's power is great.  The worst is there is no way to avoid it.  None.

Not one of us knows if we, or our loved ones, will be next.  I put it out of my mind, most of the time, and do my best not to let such thoughts interfere in my life but I have a hard time doing that when I know there are so many who can't do that....because they are living with it.  We lived with it here....after 911....and many were effected.  I lived between 2 nuclear plants (at that time) and I had the trunk of my car packed with food, clothing, supplies for my entire family.  How I expected to get them or get anywhere safe....if the worst happened?.....I have no idea, but I was thatttt afraid!!  And I'm not generally a person that lets fear rule my life!!!

These terrorist's actions make me angry!!   They cause me to feel afraid!!!   I feel nauseated to think of them enjoying the harm they cause!! (and there's no icon for that!).

I wish I could offer you some words of wisdom or encouragement but I can't think of any.

  The best any of us can do is put it out of our minds until the next event??
  Trust our governments to handle it?
  How useless is that???

I'm soooo sorry for those who feel that fear now.
And that anger and that deep sadness.
But most especially......that helplessness.   The inability to do something....anything....to prevent this from happening again.

And I'm gonna say this again because you guys deserve to be reminded of something good and worth celebrating, even though that celebration was also....killed..........

Congratulations to your country for winning the host to the next Olympics!!!!!!
Sela

[October]

Bit of history, to put things into perspective a little. 

During the Blitz, deaths in Britain from bombing settled down at between 3,000 and 5,000 a month, which was regarded as sustainable. 

In the House of Commons, 8 October 1940, Churchill remarked;  'It would take ten years at the present rate for half of the houses of London to be demolished.  After that, of course, progress would be much slower.'

 

[Portia]

October, I think I understand what you say above about a

Bit of history, to put things into perspective a little

as my reply following to Sela might show. When you use the word ‘perspective’, I think it might sound like you’re saying that you’re putting the facts forward? That you’re offering the truth, a slice of reality?

A perspective is always a subjective view, I think. Your perspective may not be the same as mine. In this case, the immediacy of death has an emotional impact on some people (‘feeling’ as opposed to ‘thinking’ people perhaps?). To give them a thinking perspective as the truth (the facts, the reality) may be perceived by them as you telling them off for having feelings I think. And they might react like humiliated children.

Nevertheless I take your point, lives are expendable in any country. I’m not sure if numbers of deaths matters: 50 deaths can be as bad as 30,000,000 deaths depending on your perceptions. But sure, individual lives are pretty cheap anywhere. I’ve always thought that! I wonder why…? <where is the wry irony emoticon>. I really hope you see my point though?