Alright, I've just lost it.
I grew up as *cottonweaver* described in an earlier post, in England as a teen in the 1970s. Constant terror threats from the IRA. We grew up learning that any large public gathering, or even just shopping in a large department store, may well be subject to a bomb threat, or a real bomb attack, and subsequent evacuations.
The same during the 1980s.
After I was married, in the 1990s, I lived in three towns in north west England that were affected by IRA bombs. Two of those had no fatalities, including the city of my birth, but in one of them, two children were killed and there were many injuries.
In my birth city, we kind of expected it, <eyeroll> but the other two are just small towns. Anonymous places really, where people just try to get on with their lives. And this is just my own personal experience. This was going on all over the country, over a period of more than 20 years.
I worked in aviation for 30 years, we were aware of potental terrorist threats every day we were at work.
Lockerbie was terrible, heartbreaking. 9/11 was unspeakable and I still haven't come to terms with what happened.
I've done a lot of travel worldwide. France is one of my favourite countries, Paris undoubtedly my favourite city in the world.
How dare they do this to Paris? How dare they do this to innocent people just out to enjoy dinner and drinks, or a concert on a Friday evening? How dare they destroy families, friends of people who have lost their loved ones?
I'm travelling to the U.S. again in a just a few weeks. And now, instead of enjoying the pre-trip anticipation, I'm nervous. I hate myself for being nervous about the trip, because I know that's one of the things they want.
How dare they try to take away my freedom that was hard-won by my parents and grand-parents, as well as people from many different nations in the last 100 years?
They hate us and they want to kill us.
My post isn't about politics, I'm just making the point that I've lived most of my life with the background fear of terrorism, on my doorstep and far away, and it hasn't made me stronger. And I'm currently more afraid for my freedom than I can ever remember. But I'm furious too.
And now, I need to take a break from it, from watching the horror on my tv, from reading survivor accounts that are trully heartbreaking and terrifying. From posting here. Just a short break.
Thank you to everyone for your contributions on this thread.
I'll be back tomorrow.
I grew up as *cottonweaver* described in an earlier post, in England as a teen in the 1970s. Constant terror threats from the IRA. We grew up learning that any large public gathering, or even just shopping in a large department store, may well be subject to a bomb threat, or a real bomb attack, and subsequent evacuations.
The same during the 1980s.
After I was married, in the 1990s, I lived in three towns in north west England that were affected by IRA bombs. Two of those had no fatalities, including the city of my birth, but in one of them, two children were killed and there were many injuries.
In my birth city, we kind of expected it, <eyeroll> but the other two are just small towns. Anonymous places really, where people just try to get on with their lives. And this is just my own personal experience. This was going on all over the country, over a period of more than 20 years.
I worked in aviation for 30 years, we were aware of potental terrorist threats every day we were at work.
Lockerbie was terrible, heartbreaking. 9/11 was unspeakable and I still haven't come to terms with what happened.
I've done a lot of travel worldwide. France is one of my favourite countries, Paris undoubtedly my favourite city in the world.
How dare they do this to Paris? How dare they do this to innocent people just out to enjoy dinner and drinks, or a concert on a Friday evening? How dare they destroy families, friends of people who have lost their loved ones?
I'm travelling to the U.S. again in a just a few weeks. And now, instead of enjoying the pre-trip anticipation, I'm nervous. I hate myself for being nervous about the trip, because I know that's one of the things they want.
How dare they try to take away my freedom that was hard-won by my parents and grand-parents, as well as people from many different nations in the last 100 years?
They hate us and they want to kill us.
My post isn't about politics, I'm just making the point that I've lived most of my life with the background fear of terrorism, on my doorstep and far away, and it hasn't made me stronger. And I'm currently more afraid for my freedom than I can ever remember. But I'm furious too.
And now, I need to take a break from it, from watching the horror on my tv, from reading survivor accounts that are trully heartbreaking and terrifying. From posting here. Just a short break.
Thank you to everyone for your contributions on this thread.
I'll be back tomorrow.
