OK, I'm getting Americanist now. But I'm also getting pissed off.
Yes, the London Bombings are Terrible. But I didn't know anyone affected. I feel for those who do -for SueM and the countless other people I don't know whose relatives died, were injured or are missing. But it doesn't make me cry or tear my hair out because I didn't know them personally. Yes, if the clocks were turned back and I had an opportunity to prevent any of the suffering I would have taken it. But they aren't and I can't.
Why are Americans surprised to see me out and about and functioning relatively normally today? What do they expect me do do, to feel? I appreciate their concerns are heartfelt and genuine, but what sort of a society is this? If we stopped functioning for every violent death, nothing would be done about looking for ways to prevent more. Tonight I read that the Hurricane in Cuba has killed half as many as the London bombs already. OK, so Hurricanes are extremes of nature ...isn't terroristic violence just an extreme of human nature? Sure we should do everything we can to protect ourselves from it, but does abandoning normal life in respect for the victims we don't know really serve a purpose?
Yes I'm ranting.
Yes I'm upset people died
Yes I'm carrrying on as normal
Yes I'm pissed of that some people seem to think I shouldn't
Functioning normally is what we've been told to do - and it feels right to get back to normal ASAP.
Although the type of attacks is new for us, the total death toll and damage isn't that far removed from what we are very familiar with from IRA attacks - or a train accident.
Why are Americans surprised to see me out and about and functioning relatively normally today?
I get the same feeling. And I get asked if I knew anyone in the attacks. The UK has 60 million people in, FFS. I guess we Brits are used to it and just get on with our lives.
Meanwhile, someone in our neighbourhood has a British flag up. Nice touch.
Meanwhile, someone in our neighbourhood has a British flag up. Nice touch.
Probably a friend of my brother, who lives in Westerville. He knows a few brits in and around Columbus. I have seen a lot of brits here too with their England shirts on, and a few cars with the Union Flag flying on them.
I had a phone call from the secretary at the immigration attourneys that we used to get our Green Cards to ask if we were alright! o
Debs x roll
8) You have to remember a couple of things here. Its just like when they hear your accent and ask where do you come from, you say London and they say " ah yes London. I have a friend there, do you know them" Because London is small they really don't understand how really big it is.
Like people back home don't really understand how big Texas is. I remember when there were some bad floods in Houston and my sister is phoning to make sure we were ok.
As for the carrying on as normal, we have been very used to this stuff from world war 1 to present date and its now a genetic thing to us I think. We just dust our selfs off and move on, we don't need to take drugs or see a quack to be able to function.
This type of stuff is new to people over here, they are still very close communities
here.
That is true....as londoners, we have learnt to just get on with things, and don't let it get to us. I remember being caught up in some of the IRA bombings over the years, and the one in the docklands was closer to my flat.
American, as well as Canadians mostly think everyone is from london, may be that is because when they meet brits, they end up telling them they are from london, rather than other parts?
Some folks here don't even know that most of the town names here come from England, and their pronounciations are just terrible roll
Working in a shop I see people all day long and yes I have now been asked many times if any of my friends and family were hurt. It doesn't irritate me, I see it as a human reaction to the sad loss of life, for many of them I might be the only Brit they have spoken to since the bombs went off and I think that in asking about the safety of my friends and family they are really just expressing sympathy and support for Brits in general.
They aren't being dramatic, they aren't looking aghast that I'm at work, they certainly don't seem to find it strange that I'm not in tears. They are just politely asking whether I have personally been affected by the bombs. I find it very refreshing that so many Americans are able to relate to a tragedy outside of their own country instead of thinking the world stops at their borders. I find it touching that they are concerened about the well being of my family.
I politely thank them for their kind concern, express my gratitude that no-one I love was hurt or killed and tell them that I have been telling my friends back home how sad Americans are about our countries loss. Takes all of 60 seconds and then we move on.
8) You have to remember a couple of things here. Its just like when they hear your accent and ask where do you come from, you say London and they say " ah yes London. I have a friend there, do you know them" Because London is small they really don't understand how really big it is.
Like people back home don't really understand how big Texas is. I remember when there were some bad floods in Houston and my sister is phoning to make sure we were ok.
As for the carrying on as normal, we have been very used to this stuff from world war 1 to present date and its now a genetic thing to us I think. We just dust our selfs off and move on, we don't need to take drugs or see a quack to be able to function.
This type of stuff is new to people over here, they are still very close communities
here.
I agree with what you are saying about Americans not realizing how big the population is in the UK and vis versa.
However, proud as I am, of the way Londoners are reacting to these bombs, I don't think they are any more stoic than their NY, NJ, CT counterparts who suffered a far bigger loss of life in 9/11.
Your line about "we don't need drugs etc" is perpetuating the myth that people who seek therapy or medication to help them through a time of tragedy are somehow weaker/less than those that don't. That predjudice is often what causes people to wait far longer than they should before seeking help.
If someone broke their leg would you admire them for not getting medical treatment or would you think they were foolish?
I couldn't get to grips with all the knee-jerk reactions from the major US cities with all the bomb-sniffing dogs and what not on their mass transit infrastructure.
It's been a year since Madrid. and we'll not hear anything from AQ for another good few months I reckon.
So why the big knee jerk reaction the other day? in 2 months time I'll hazard a guess that the bomb sniffing dogs will have gone from Atlanta / Chicago / NYC and then Al Qeada will start planning something else.
I watched CNN all day Thursday, and was aghast that the main emphasis was on "keeping Americans Safe"
well they can't. MI5 and the Met whom have done a lot can't keep looking for small needles in large haystacks, and the general air of inevitability surrounded the bombings.
i guess I was and still am somewhat upset. Edgeware Road tube station was our local station and I used to buy my knickers at the M&S there.
No I don't know anyone personally who's been hurt, but nonetheless it all comes back in waves. The bloody IRA, getting out of their way, being asked to "quickly and calmly" leave a pub because of a briefcase that no one's claiming. All of that comes back vividly.
Yes I'm upset. I'm also amazed at how many people over here have said how dreadful it was but we didn't lose as many people as 911. Like big numbers are a good thing in this kind of situation.
Been here long enough to be upset and getting older and more compassionate regards....
Oh and just to add I liked the Stars headline over there. It just said in big letters Barst*rds. Of course that wasn't on the internet version. Oh and my immediate reaction was, and this is awfully telling, Bomb the barst*rds. ???
8) Deborah I knew that would be taken out of context lol what I mean that sometimes people tend to look towards a quick fix, when there is none. Thats the society we have today. That's why diet pills do so well cuz people want a quick fix, rather than the hard way of balanced diet and work (by that I mean walk etc). Medication often just hides a problem, rather than addressing it.
I will grant you that there are some folks that really do need help and they should get it and seeking help is no sign of weakness at all, infact it takes alot of courage to admit there maybe something wrong.
But would you agree with me that some places will have the guidance folks out at the drop of a hat. Like something bad happenes in 3 states away and gets alot of air time on TV.
Sorry if it came out the wrong way lol
Oh and my immediate reaction was, and this is awfully telling, Bomb the barst*rds. :???:
This is the attitude I am expected to have from Americans here but I find it a bit juvenile to be honest - no offense meant annie.
Bomb who and where?
Did we get back at the IRA when they committed attrocities in Britain? Subtly perhaps but wholesale attacks did not work then and would not work now.
I suppose Syria or Egypt might make decent targets to drop a few payloads on but what's the point? History proves to us that a) you cannot bomb any committed opponent into the Stone Age and b) terrorists are not countries that can be tackled in a World War II, Dwight Eisenhower strategic method.
Sure, Afghanistan was a reasonable target, openly offering sanctuary to a terrorist group but they were centuries behind any other countries who still sponsor terrorism and an easy, naive target.
We're flat out of easy targets now and North Koreans don't look the part (neither are they an easy target, come to that!)
Just to remind the bombers that you can't keep london down, we are going to rise above it all, just like the statue here in stratford east london
