Terror in our midst
Last night, the 22nd of May 2017 at 10.35pm The Manchester Arena was attacked by a coward, a spineless murderer who thought nothing of attacking predominantly children who were doing nothing more than enjoying a pop concert. So far 22 people have been murdered and 59 people are injured as I type this. I refuse to use the word killed because that would imply that this atrocity could be some sort of accident.....it wasn't, this was murder plain and simple. There is no point in going into the details of this heinous attack as just about every media outlet in the world will be doing that. There is also no point in dissecting the anatomy of what does or doesn't turn somebody into a mass murderer. Instead I feel it is more appropriate to take a moment to think about those that were lost and injured last night and to offer help and support wherever it is needed to their respective families.
As always our emergency services were at the top of their game. We have the best emergency services in the world and despite having funds cut time and time again by successive governments they still manage to perform the seemingly impossible. They are the jewel in Great Britain's crown. The Taxi Drivers of Manchester deserve an enormous amount of praise for the assistance that was given to the emergency services in ferrying people away from the scene, this was done free of charge, there was no profiteering by the Taxi industry from this appalling attack.....but then there never is when an appalling incident such as this takes place.
Sadly these attacks will not go away, not whilst you have one weak-minded human being who willing to slaughter other human beings in the name of an ideal, a scrap of land or a rag on a pole, all that we can do is be vigilant and try to minimise what is in fact a calculated risk. When travelling anywhere or going to an event nowadays we all have to be aware of our surroundings, where is the nearest exit ? Should I go to a particular event ? Can i get away from this crowd quickly and safely ? Why is that bag unattended ? Why is that person acting in a particular way ?.....These are all questions that we must now ask ourselves. If there is any shadow of doubt or concern it is imperative that the relevant authorities are contacted, nobody will ever be castigated for voicing concerns. The authorities are fully aware that almost all reports made to them are thankfully non-problematic, however that doesn't mean that ALL reports are non-problematic so once again do not be afraid to talk to the authorities if you have concerns about a person or a situation.....one phone call can save dozens of lives.
Today our thoughts are with the dead, the injured and their families.
