Proud to be British

[Mongoose]

I have long been proud to be British. I was proud to be British last month, when our head of state made a bold stand for the right future for our continent. I was proud to be British yesterday, when we won the Olympics. But most of all I'm proud to be British today. Because Britain has often faced the threat of attack. From many sources. In many different ways. Germany attacked us from the air. The IRA attacked us over a long period of time. And now we have been attacked again. But each time we are attacked, the British people, and it must be said, our leaders, have stood firm and showed our fighting spirit. We will carry on our business as usual. We will carry on holding our values, which are values that benefit humankind. Today is a tragedy, and it is a test. But we will come out from this just as strong as before. Good will last, it will go the distance, and we will never let evil people defeat our great society.

[Kirsty Harris]

Originally Posted by Mongoose

Today is a tragedy, and it is a test. But we will come out from this just as strong as before.

I agree with everything you said, Mongoose, but especially the above passage - if anything events like today only serve to make us stronger.

[Lemming]

I agree with every last letter of your post Mongoose.

I'm proud to be British, always have been, always will be. I think this is the best country in the whole world, with the best people. A country and people I, for one, feel lucky to be a part of!

I'm never going to forget today, the scenes on TV, the reports on the radio, the speeches from politicians and the hard work and commitment from the emergency services.

This country will bounce back, the people love this country and won't let terror change their way of life. We will always remember the people caught up in today's atrocities and their families, and in their name we will pick ourselves up, knit together and stand up for what we have. Great Britain!

[Aussie-Yank]

Sympathy to the people of London.

I have been following via the radio over the internet of what has happened. I love London and the people who live there, but I know the spirit that lives in London will come through and once again London will continue to thrive as the city she is. This act of cowardism does not weaken London, it will only serve to strengthen its resolve - the Stiff upper lip of the English - The only thing that they have succeed in doing is to make the world more resolved in standing up against terrorism.

[Rachael]

Let's keep this in perspective folks: the BBC evening news mentions equally severe bombings on an almost daily basis.. and this sort of attack is almost routine in places like Iraq and Israel. Doesn't make it any more welcome... or any less terminal for those who died... but even in the annals of 2005 terrorist attacks it's pretty insignificant.

[Kirsty Harris]

Fair comment, Rachael, but the sad thing is that countries like Iraq have grown accustomed to these tradegy's in a way that we have (fortunately) not had to in recent years. No one should have to get used to this kind of thing, that is one of the terrible tradgey's of the situation in Iraq.

[Rachael]

I suspect the people who've got most used to news of the bombings are actually the mainland Brits who just go add each incident to a tally of nasty things that go on elsewhere in the world: a mentality that's routinely condemned when it's attributed to Americans but which is rather more understandable from close quarters - after all, if all the people who declared they couldn't get on with normal life today responded in the same way to EVERY such attack.... they'd hardly ever do anything

Of course... the levels of "terror" associated with today's attack also need to be seen alongside the everyday terror in those parts of UK / NI cities blighted by gangs, drug related shootings and the like. I'm grateful to be a long way from the relevent bits of London, Manchester, Belfast and the like where such problems apparently cast an almost constant shadow over everyday life.... but I suspect the deathtolls this year are already greater on this front than from this one attack.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Rachael

Let's keep this in perspective folks: the BBC evening news mentions equally severe bombings on an almost daily basis.. and this sort of attack is almost routine in places like Iraq and Israel. Doesn't make it any more welcome... or any less terminal for those who died... but even in the annals of 2005 terrorist attacks it's pretty insignificant.

The fact is Rachael, these posts are in perspective, it's not a matter of being proud to be British, it about the loathing when murderers blow our people to pieces, white-Black-Christian-Muslim-adults-children- and the sick and elderly, I think the above posts are well in pespective.

[Collyisamackem]

Insignificant is such a sensitive word isn't it? Just because it doesn't happen every day doesn't make it insignificant.

[Lemming]

Originally Posted by Rachael

...the levels of "terror" associated with today's attack also need to be seen alongside the everyday terror in those parts of UK / NI cities blighted by gangs, drug related shootings and the like...

I think what we have seen today eclipses these sorts of terrorism. OK, we hear of gangland shootings, drug related shooting etc., but rarely are these shootings of innocent random people, the infirm, elderly, children. It's far from OK, but gang and drug murders are usually with a personal motive, the murderer might kill a rival or someone who owes them money, or has "grassed" to authorities for example, in some sense they only kill their own kind. Today's murders were carried out with the knowledge that random innocent people are going to die. I believe that makes them more of a terrible thing.

I'm pretty certain that not getting involved with drugs or gangs really reduces my chances of being killed by such people. Next time I step on a bus, or a train or walk past a rubbish bin in a crowded town centre, my chances are the same as any other person, as you, as a child or a grandmother. The randomness of the attacks supplies the "terror". It could well happen anywhere, at any time, to anyone, that's - I believe - a terrible thing.