Sunday, September 11, 2011

Ten Years Seems Like Yesterday

It is the subject on everyone's mind simply because the day those planes struck the Twin Towers and the aftermath has been branded into the psyche of anyone who witnessed it.

The idea that in one heartbeat someone could commit mass murder, of people just doing their boring every day things, was almost incomprehensible.  But we had to comprehend.

They did it in the name of religion, the favourite beating stick of crimes against humanity.  How many millions have died in the futile reasoning that it was willed by some vengeful, bloodthirsty God?  I no more believe in their religious martyrdom than I do in the Easter Bunny.  It was mass murder, of the most horrific sense.  Regardless of how much you hate a country, or its people, to do such a thing...

I couldn't fathom it then and I cannot fathom it now.  My skin itches when I hear of people making excuses for why it happened.  People hated America because of this, they had reason to do it because of that.  Feeble.  Anyone who spouts hate must be prepared to face the consequences of their venomous bile and whereas some like to placate and try to see where the sticking plaster will go I find no solace in pretending that to even consider such crimes is nothing short of evil.

The people who perpetrated this were evil, as were the ones guilty in Madrid and then London.  They can make their windbag videos yammering on about how we in the West, who have given them a place to live, an education, a welcome in to our (much ignored and sidelined) culture, how we are the worst things to exist on this planet.  They can do this knowing that we have some semblance of freedom, that I do not need a male relative or a head to toe (plus eye) covering to go outside.  Yes, it is tied to one specific religion and that is a taboo subject to even cross but at some point we have to realise there are those who seek to oppress and we stand back and applaud to scared to point out the inadequacies.

Ach, I'm now warbling on.  It is not a popular view point and it is probably clear I do not find comfort in my own religion (lordie knows in past times I'd have burned as a witch for being a gobby mare.)

Ten years ago, I was lying on the couch in my living room.  On a day off, visit to midwife duly done and lunch just finished.  My mother called, an accident, she said, like what had happened to the Empire State Building during the war.  It was no accident and as events played out live yet unbelievable I began to wonder if there would be a world for my two babies to be born into.  Suddenly their January birth seemed too far away, what would have happened in between - it seemed world war three was about to commence.

Ten years ago it didn't look as though we would have a future.  I can't say that the coming years fill me with optimism other than to say that we're still here, sort of.

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