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jcokos
Staff
Joined: Eons Ago
# Posts: 171
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Posted: 2005-Jul-07 17:52
I was feeding my newborn this morning at 3am when the news alerts were coming accross the TV, and my heart sank as I said a prayer for you ... her first.
After 9/11 ... every American changed, just as you Brits are changing today. I remember the outpouring of emotion and sympathy from the world's poplulation. We needed that, and gladly accepted that, but in the back of my mind, and probably most Americans minds at the time ... I felt as though the rest of you (save, perhaps, the Israelis) could never understand what actually happened on that day. It wasn't the 3,000+ innocent people that lost their lives, or the stock market taking a beating, or the billions of dollars in real estate that were lost. Americans lost a small piece of themselves on 9/11 ... just as the Brits are losing a small piece of themselves today.
It's an impossible feeling to explain in words. One day, you get up and go to work, and do your thing just like you've done 10,000 times before. And the next day, you're analyzing everyone around you ... wondering why that bag is sitting there on the sidewalk all by itself ... your stomach sinking just a little bit more than usual on the elevator ... and not enjoying the train ride as much as you used to. More noticably, you find yourself "bonding" with your countrymen even more. People that you never gave a second thought to before, you now look at as though you're brothers and sisters, having lived through an ordeal, and having these new "queasy" feelings in common. You exchange knowing glances, and swell with pride when you see your flag, and as you ride the trains and the planes, even though you're now paying attention to who's getting on there with you, you have, at the same time, another feeling that you're not alone in this thing ... that everyone else there with you can relate, and together, like family, you go through life less separated than before.
You're now missing a small piece of yourselves, just as we Americans, and the Spanish are. Gone forever are the days where you could go through your day without thinking about "the possibility" that something may happen. What separates victory from defeat in this Holy War is how you take your next steps. Do you allow that missing piece of you to fester ... or do you replace it with a better piece --- one that understands the value of country, friend, and family. One that exists in awareness and fortitude instead of fear and worry.
To everyone in the UK, my thoughts and prayers are with you today. We have always been good friends, but now we share an unfortunate bond that further solidifies our brotherhood. I wish you didn't have to fully understand what we as American citizens went through on 9/11, but unfortunately, you now know ...
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yellowwing
Joined: May 21, 2002
# Posts: 2526
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Posted: 2005-Jul-07 19:09
37+ innocent civilians killed. Okay you magnificant Royal Marines and Paras, its time to go hunting. Go get them where they live, screw the soveriegn borders issues. Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, it doesn't matter, we got your back.
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T. J. Daniels
Joined: Aug 19, 2000
# Posts: 183
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Posted: 2005-Jul-08 02:02
My prayers are added. TJ
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Dorian
Joined: Aug 13, 2001
# Posts: 533
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Posted: 2005-Jul-08 11:24
GoogleUK added a very thoughtful mark of their respect on their homepage.
Not so yellowwing's rant. That's why we're in this situation.
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uk_writer
Joined: Jun 15, 2005
# Posts: 28
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Posted: 2005-Jul-09 13:56
jcokos, you seem to forget that in the UK we have lived with the threat of terrorism for many, many, many years prior to 9/11 - this is why, less than 24 hours after the bombs exploded in London it was 'business as usual'. We have seen bombs destroy shopping centres, hotels filled with government leaders, trains, planes, cars etc... We have seen entire communities decimated by bombs, yet we do not make ourselves out to be unique. You say "I wish you didn't have to fully understand what we as American citizens went through on 9/11, but unfortunately, you now know ..." - we've known it for many years before 9/11. Sure the events of 9/11 remain regrettably the single worst experience of terrorism in history, but in the UK we have become accustomed to attacks on our sovereignty that now we do not look to martyr the whole country when it is attacked - we simply pick up the pieces and carry on as that is the single most effective way to tell these terrorists that they will never succeed.
My heart goes out to all those fellow Brits who have suffered by the indiscriminate barbarity of this latest attack on the UK. Terrorism will never succeed and we can only hope and pray that one day, maybe not in our lifetimes, people will realise the futility of these acts and begin to work together to build a better place for future generations to live.
Sure we can go with our gut reactions and seek revenge, but at the end of the day, letting our feelings get the better of us makes us no better than the terrorists.
My prayers and thoughts go out to all the families who have suffered by this act of barbarism.
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yellowwing
Joined: May 21, 2002
# Posts: 2526
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Posted: 2005-Jul-09 14:16
It still seems like a good idea to stop the bombers. It wasn't Western attitude that killed all those people. It was the bombs.
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Dorian
Joined: Aug 13, 2001
# Posts: 533
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Posted: 2005-Jul-09 15:01
yellowwing, can't you see that you're playing right into these guys hands. They're not making any demands and there's nothing to negotiate. It's a very subtle strategy to create divisiveness in the West and perpetuate an ongoing battle between the Christian and Islamic worlds which will end in all out war.
And it's working. The terrorists couldn't have hoped for a better response to 9/11 than an attack on Iraq. Overturning Saddam's government (regime, if you prefer) didn't stop them. Nor will your plan to 'screw the soveriegn borders issues'. That's the best they can hope for because it will force the Islamic countries to consolidate their efforts against not a perceived threat from the West but a very real one. You're saying and doing everything that these insurgents want and your strategy will end in the Armageddon that they seek.
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excell
Staff
Joined: Mar 19, 2001
# Posts: 14513
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Posted: 2005-Jul-09 15:57
There is nothing new under the sun folks, just different ways of doing it, different scales and different ways of communicating about it.
uk_writer your point is understood here...as I read John's piece earlier I thought similar thoughts but know that John is just sharing from his heart and recognising the pain and horror.
My condolenses to friends and family of victims and to the UK in general from AU (were we watch without expectations of being immune and look for ways to try to prevent similar events).
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philh
Joined: Sep 14, 2001
# Posts: 3050
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Posted: 2005-Jul-09 16:21
Well, I'll come out of retirement to say "well said" Dorian and uk_writer.
Iraq will be another Vietnam - a terrible waste of young American life.
Still, the "Have Mores" will make a few million dollars.
John, I thank you for your condolences, but George and tony won't defeat terror by invading other countries.
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excell
Staff
Joined: Mar 19, 2001
# Posts: 14513
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Posted: 2005-Jul-09 16:46
What do you think you are doing down there in retirement philh - that's not allowed!
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philh
Joined: Sep 14, 2001
# Posts: 3050
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Posted: 2005-Jul-11 09:07
We are not afraid
[link]
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