Hoisting a Union Jack for our friends...

[mollyringle]

I have tears in my eyes as I read what happened in London today. King's Cross, Russell Square, Edgware Road--I've been through all those Tube stations. The names are dear to my heart. Ah, London, as others have said by now, you've withstood worse in the Blitz, and you'll withstand this too, but I grieve all the same.

As for Al Qaeda, I had to delete a lot of the bitter, vicious things I originally typed about what I wish I could do to them for this action. I don't know that it would help anyone if I said such things. Instead I'll simply paraphrase Bill Murray in Ghostbusters: Nobody steps on an Underground station in my town.

And today I'm calling London my town.

Comments

[thomas-a-kempis.livejournal.com]

The Mohammedan nations should now eschew these acts and purge
their countries of any who are found to be conspirators. Forthwith.

+

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

How I wish they would. But doubt they will, alas.

[ainu-laire.livejournal.com]

My dad was extremely pissed off when he heard this. In his anger he said we should just "bomb one of their places without warning and see how they feel about it". I honestly don't know if he meant that, but at the moment I want to send every terrorist onto a deserted island and then nuke them off the face of the earth...

Forgive my ignorance, but what is the 'Blitz'?

[rachel2205.livejournal.com]

The Blitz was the sustained bombing attack London underwent in the Second World War.

[ainu-laire.livejournal.com]

Thank you. My bloody school is absolutely worthless when it comes to 20th century history.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

*nod*, what she said. Basically, London and some other English cities got hammered, off and on, by Nazi aircraft fire for several months in WWII. Killed somewhere around 43,000 civilians in total. These "firestorms" happened in a lot of European cities in WWII, of course, on both sides; and were tragic in all cases since they involved so many civilian deaths and injuries.

[terrylj.livejournal.com]

Wow. I knew what the Blitz was, but I didn't realize it killed so many civilians. No wonder the British are taking this so calmly.

[(Anonymous)]

Stiff upper lip. Wot, wot?

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize there so many casualties, either. Then I looked it up on Wikipedia to check the details, and wow, high numbers. Had to include them, they were so shocking. WWII was one nasty mess...

[ainu-laire.livejournal.com]

That's absolutely terrible. Thanks for the explanation, though.

[rachel2205.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your good wishes, dear, it means a lot. The solidarity across Europe and indeed the world is very heartening. And you're right, we're not gonna take this crap. People will be back at work tomorrow and living in their stoical London way, and no one will stop them!

[darthdogbert.livejournal.com]

As I've said in my journal, if I typed out what I really felt, I'd have quite a few people jumping down my throat.

Let's just say that I think Emperor Palpatine had some good choice lines in Episodes I and III that would fit nicely with what I would do to the bastards that did this.

[matildafilch.livejournal.com]

And I had tears in my eyes when I read so many messages of support all over LJ. Everyone's been lovely.

The Blitz, yeah, and don't forget more recently, 2-3 decades of IRA attacks all over Britain (esp. England). We're kind of used to this crap. Doesn't make it any easier though.

Thank you, Lemon. Consider yourself an honorary Londoner forthwith. ;)

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

I assumed it was the IRA, at first. That's the default assumption when I hear "London bombings." But al-Qaeda says they want to claim it, so...*shrug*

Such a nice city; I don't know why everyone gets so mad at it.

*happily polishes honorary Londoner badge*