I've woken up to the news there has been a terrorist attack in New Zealand. It brings my thoughts back to other atrocities like this that have happened in our world. It is cowardly, and the people that have done this deserve our contempt.
My sympathies go out to all those families affected in New Zealand today. Again I cannot imagine their feelings right now but we would all understand whatever they are.
Every time I see things like this on the news I just wonder what is gong through the minds of the people that perpetrate those murderous crimes? What must they be thinking to do this? What do they possibly think this can cause apart from alienate and promote even more retaliation and hate? I really don't understand their mindset, and I'm glad I don't because to do so would validify their actions. You then end up with an ever increasing spiral of tit for tat, and there is no end to the hatred on both sides.
I live in a relatively quiet part of the UK, yet even where I work we have all trained for what to do in the event of a terrorist attack. Previously none of us could keep our phones on the shop floor. Now we can all carry them. Yesterday we had the monthly 'bomb check'. It involves certain work colleagues literally hunting for a 'bomb'......a fake 'bomb' I hasten to add. I've been one of the searchers before, and it is scary even though it's not real. You would be amazed where a 'bomb' can be hidden, and how easy it is to do. We're all told to be on the look out for abandoned bags of any type, but it's so easy to forget in my part of the country. We get handbags left behind quite regularly, and yet we all just pick them up and bring them to the Customer Service desk where I work. I've never thought about it before but what if? What if someone had left a bomb in one of those? I think most people just wouldn't believe that was possible. No one would do that. But fanatics and terrorists don't care. They use the most inane of items to cause the most damage to anyone and everyone. They want to hurt.
To be honest here is very little that you or I can do to prevent anyone that intends to provoke and damage in this way. We all know what to look for. Suspicious movements, acting in an unusual way, unusual items left in unusual places...…...We all know what we should do, yet it is instinct to go and check it out. I am glad I don't live in London, or in a big town but just take a look at the events in Salisbury, a small quiet country town. It was done for political reasons and directed at one person in particular, but the fall out for the public was awful. It can happen anywhere.
I trust and admire our police, our fire service, our NHS workers, our intelligence services. The job they do is difficult and intense. They work hard to keep us safe, and protect us. I am also sure that if it wasn't for the intelligence services we would be under far more of a threat from extremists. The world joins together to vilify these terrorists. They will not stop us from carrying on with our daily lives. They will not cause us to fear them but only to despise them.
Keep strong. Keep calm. They will not beat us down.
Terrorist -
a person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.
Extremist -
a person who holds extreme political or religious views, especially one who advocates illegal, violent, or other extreme action.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recognising-the-terrorist-threat/recognising-the-terrorist-threat
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/national-counter-terrorism-security-office
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