From: ABlainey@aol.com
Date: Thu Jul 31 2003 - 18:49:01 MDT
In a message dated 01/08/2003 01:12:04 GMT Daylight Time,
oregan.emlyn@healthsolve.com.au writes:
> How about a poll...
>
> Who on the list personally knows someone affected by terrorism. Personal
> acquaintances as maximum distance, no friends of friends please.
>
> More subjective: would you rate yourself now (hopefully based on some kind
> of quasi-empirical guestimate, at least) as more or less safe than you were
> 10 years ago? 20 years ago? What are the major threats to your continued
> existence/lifestyle? How about 10 years into the future?
I have lived in the shadow of terrorism for most of my life. People have
quickly forgoten the IRA and the death, destruction and fear that they caused. I
have been directly effected by terrorism when I worked in London and my wifes
office was virtually destroyed by the bishopsgate bomb. Luckily she and her
colueges had been evacuated due to the quick response to a warning given by the
IRA. Something which the victims of 911 did not have. Also many of my personal
friends have been effected by terrorism, not only here but also while on
holiday in places such as Spain where ETA operate. Europe in general has always had
some sort of constant Terrorist threat, which we have dealt with on a daily
basis. Perhaps that is why some Americans might feel that the rest of the world
wasn't quite as shocked by 911 as they thought we should be. ??
My feeling about whether I am safer or not now than I was 10 or 20 years ago
is that I am far less safe. one reason is as I stated above, While having
always lived with the threat of terrorism. There has always been some comfort in
knowing that usually there will be a warning preceeding any activity. This is
not the case with the new breed of religously motivated extreamists. There one
and only aim seems to be to kill and maim as many people as possible. This
coupled with fact that in the case of the IRA, I could understand why they were
attacking the UK and in some way agreed with there cause, if not their methods.
They could be reasoned with and therfor an end was always in sight, even if
somewhat far away.
This is no longer true, I cannot agree with, understand or remotely relate to
people that kill Men, Women, Children and even their own because of lies and
unjustified hatred. These people really scare me.
So do I feel safer ? Like Fuck do I !!!!!
The future? hmmmmmm. I do know one thing, Running around the world shooting
at anyone that 'looks at us funny' is only going to end in one thing. A bullet
in the back.
Alex
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