Not being too well, I went to bed early last night, this morning I awoke to the horrible news of the London Bridge attack. horrified doesn’t cut it. Like everyone else, I am angry, disgusted, shocked and in a way, ashamed. Ashamed to be part of the human race who can commit these atrocities on each other. Who can soeasilly take a life, or in this case,lives. It wasn’t an act in any kind of religion, in the name of any God. It was murder of innocent people enjoying a lovely summers evening. Innocent of anything deserving this fate.
I am angry at what I see more and more of in everyday life, a lack of respect. But this was taken to another level with last nights events. Like others I am angry that these killings were carried out in the name of any religion. Calling for their ‘God’ while they carried out their murderous task. No God would want this. No God would ask this of his followers. At least no God I would want to worship. I am angry at this futile loss of life and the disrespect of those who did this horrible deed. When someone blows themselves up in the name of Allah or Islam, they must truly believe they will be rewarded in the after life. This is because they are radicalized or brought up to hold this belief. But I know that true followers of Islam are peaceful, loving people who do not believe in violence. So who are these who do this? I don’t think the media do the true Islamists any favours by calling the terrorists by that name. It isn’t right and what it does it give the public the wrong message. That Muslims, Islamists are terrorists. That will breed hatred. Yesterday the act carried out by the cowards in the name of Islam, did not intend to die, they were never going to blow themselves up but maybe they believed that if they were shot by our police, they would become martyrs. Let’s not give them that! Let’s not focus on them! Let’s focus on the people who died, the emergency service personnel who are injured and on everyone affected by the events of last night.
What we mustn’t do is allow the hatred for us by these murderers, cloud our judgment. I have seen a lot of posts on social media full of hatred and rightly so. Full of suggestions of killing or throwing people out of the country, to keep ourselves safe. Yes that’s how I feel. Kill them all. Those we don’t kill get rid of them. But I know in my heart this is wrong.I alos know that if we send them back they will only get worse. Things here will only get worse. If we kill any terrorist who doesn’t kill themselves, isn’t that like us becoming the same as then? Doesn’t that mean they have won? That they have ‘converted’ us into killers as they are? Hatred breeds hatred and we mustn’t fall into that trap. Instinctively we hate everyone who harms innocents. I do that as much as anyone. But does it help? Will it help? Will it bring back those lost? No. We need show we are together, that we are not afraid, even if we are. We need to do what is happening at Wembley this evening, come together and show strength. Show love for each other and be vigilant and still live our lives.
Maybe things like this horror should wake us all up to being more caring. To love others and show it. To show love for others, for friends and family and our neighbours. This should begin with family. We are all here only once. This beautiful place we live on belongs to us all and it shouldn’t be filled with violence and hatred. Love can conquer a great deal, given the chance. Above all of this, we need to find respect, something I feel a lot of people have lost. Respect for others, respect for the rights of everyone to live in peace and respect for ourselves.
Yesterday and the Manchester bombings puts some perspective in our own lives. I have moaned, vented and spilled my heart out on here and today feel ashamed. Not of doing this because my blog is about that. About how I cope on my own personal journey with cancer with a little ‘c’. But ashamed of letting things get the better of me and feeling weak and unable to pull myself through.Thinking of the families of those who died and those injured, I feel sahamed.
I have always believed that the only way to fight hatred and evil is with goodness, kindness and honest love. Throughout my own life, being dealt a rotten childhood, I still hung on to one thing, Hope. I asked God over and over to make ‘it’ stop but it didn’t seem he was listening.But I never lost Hope.
In the past few years all the nasties thrown my way, I have still tried to mend bridges even though I didn’t break them. Still loved those who didn’t love me and always tried to make things right. I might have failed, but I tried.
During David’s early Prostate cancer days, my hope faltered but we got through. I still have bad days, I think the ‘after’ bit is sometimes harder to deal with, at least it is for me. All the fear I tried hard to oush away, all the anger I showed a little, all of this is now evident and I have to deal with it. But David is well, that’s all that matters. I had no family support but used the groups on here. For that I have to thank group members for the love and support shown to me. The thing that has shone out to me, is the total respect we all show each other. Something lacking in general, in life today.This disease is so destructive, not only physically but mentally as well and that takes its toll. I have lost people I loved to cancer and have my brother fighting to live through cancer. I still Hope.
Every day on here, I see strong warriors and their partners, fighting with everything they can to beat this horrid disease, to hang on to this precious thing we call life. I see others who are brave enough to say ‘enoughs enough’ and live their lives, their way. I admire every single one of them. Life is precious but quality of life is so important.
Hearing of these cowardly acts of murder, suicide bombings , stabbings, makes me very angry, such a huge lack of respect for life when others are fighting so hard for theirs. Not forgivable. Not understandable. Incomprehensible and so wrong. But revenge is not the answer.
I don’t know how we can change things. I don’t know how we can stay safe, stop the killings but I do know that ‘an eye for an eye’ approach is never the answer. If we have beliefs, we can pray. If we don’t, we can hope. We can support others. We can show love and respect for our communities and be vigilant. If we retaliate, show our anger, that shows our fear. Letting these people see our fear will please them. We need somehow to continue to live our lives as we always have done. Don’t show hatred because we feel afraid. Retaliation is what they want. Us being afraid is what they want. Let’s not give it to them. Let’s not become lesser people because of a few evil people. If we do this, if we throw people out of our country, if we kill those we fear, we are becoming as bad as them. They will have taught us that violence and murder wins. It doesn’t. It mustn’t.
Yes be angry. Yes feel hurt. Yes feel scared but gain strength in your loved ones. Together you will be stronger. We will be stronger.
Above all, I feel that using these emotions to show this group of wicked people, intent on destroying the very fabric of our beautiful country that they won’t win. We won’t lower our standards to theirs. We won’t lose respect for others, for people, for places and most of all, for life.
When people show us hatred by words acts or deeds,of course we feel hatred. Don’t let them know that. They would rejoice in evoking such emotions. We need to show each other, our fellow-man, our neighbours, our families love and most of all Hope.
I’ve not lost that but I have lost my naivety in believing that love conquers all. But not that good will outlive evil.
What can we do?
Teach our children about Good. About love. Show the world how we care. No matter who they worship, which God is theirs, we respect that. But none of these atrocities are carried out in the name of religion. No God would condone these horrors. The words used by terrorists, claiming they are acting for their ‘God’ are excuses for committing cowardly murder. Nothing more nothing less.
So let’s light our candles. Give love and comfort to show support. Let’s show gratitude for everyone who tried to help in both incidents and praise our emergency services. Show our deep compassion for every one caught up in these horrible events and pray that tonight at Manchester, everyone will be safe and enjoy the music.
Thankyou for reading. xx
carolannwright 