On a morning like today following a night like last night it
is hard to know what to say or rather, hard to find the words for all the
thoughts and feelings that go through your head. For the second time in as many
weeks a travesty has happened, an act of unspeakable and unknowable evil. It goes
without saying that my thoughts are with those injured or tragically killed but
particularly with the families who will be waking up to an unimaginable feeling
and a radically altered future. As Lin Manuel Miranda wrote in Hamilton, “dying
is easy, living is harder,” and I cannot for a second imagine what the families of those killed or injured are having to go through.
What happened last night was particularly hard hitting for
me personally as someone who has walked through and around the London Bridge area
so often in recent years. When something so awful happens in an area you’re
familiar with, the impact of the news is only increased. However I wanted to
write something not only to condemn and express my sadness about what happened but
to talk about the reaction to despicable acts and dark nights like last night.
As we have sadly grown accustomed we go through a tidal wave
of different emotions and thoughts in reaction to an event like that in London
and in Manchester. To many it is sadness and despair at a world making
increasingly less sense but for others it is anger and frustration at how this
can be allowed to happen. All of the above are understandable because, it must
be remembered, they all come from a place that cares and worries.
In response to vile terrorist acts like those in the past
fortnight many familiar names will repeat familiar refrains about needing to
strike back or needing an aggressive response. While I would not personally react
in the same way, I think it is important not to over react to this reaction.
The initial response of all of us is a desire to protect those who mean so much
to us, to keep them close and protect them. This feeling is just expressed in
very different ways and how that desire is achieved follows very different
paths. It is important to remember that no matter the view, it comes from a
thought, a feeling, an innate human desire that we all share. As always, there
is more that unites us than divides us.
Division is exactly what the people who commit these heinous
crimes want, it is the only possible raison d’etre. With that in mind it is
important that rather than focusing on criticising each other’s response to
this catastrophe we instead focus on the astoundingly brilliant and
instantaneous actions of every single emergency service. We instead focus on the
selfless deeds of those innocent civilians caught up in the act. We instead
focus on the empathetic response from those offering beds, drinks and support
on social media. There is so much more that unites us.
The national topic of conversation will be focused on this
tragic event with what is probably a minority talking about a ‘strong’
response, identifying minorities and more. As hard as it may be to remember but
for 99.9% of these voices, the views they share will come from the same place,
a place where family and friends are protected and safe.
Instead of retweeting, reposting or arguing about what the
best way to respond is, I recommend switching off, spending time with loved
ones, talking to those you care about, seeing them if they live close enough
and taking every moment life gives us. If there is anything that events like
this remind us of, it is that life can be so cruelly and abruptly ended so why
waste time arguing or engaging hate with hate? Love is the only way hatred of
this kind is beaten, it should not stop in the wake of events like this.
No comments:
Post a Comment