An open letter to the London Terrorist/s

[dizzojay]

Last night terrorists, not content with murdering children in Manchester, descended on my home city of London for the second time in two months.  This attack hit home for me very literally because the areas where they hit, London Bridge and the Borough are all around where I lived the first ten years of my life, where my roots are firmly and permanently put down.

Watching the footage from the Borough last night was surreal, and seeing the great old St George the Martyr church, the church where my Grandparents were married, where my Dad was christened and where I was bridesmaid to my lifelong friend, front and centre during such horrible scenes made me both desperately sad and bitterly angry.

My afore-mentioned lifelong friend, Jane, is Church Warden at that church and I was texting her last night to make sure she's okay.  She is.  Thankfully she stayed home last night (sadly it's because her husband is poorly) but she's safe and I can't be anything but happy and relieved about that.

I had to put some thoughts down on paper last night before I could sleep, and I tidied them up this morning so that they were actually readable!!!!

This is what I had to say:

Dear terrorist/s.

I don't know what your grudge is, and frankly, I don't care.

I don't yet know whether you're alive or dead and, guess what? Yep - you got it - I don't care about that either.

What I do know is that I'm so sorry that people had to die because of your sad and pathetic need to shake your fist at the world, and your deluded belief that this kind of action will change us. Well, guess what. Next weekend, I will make a point of travelling up to London, to the Borough, where my roots are firmly and eternally put down, and I will do it purely and simply to show you that YOU HAVE FAILED.

My thoughts are with the people who died last night, and those who are left behind. I hope they can find peace in the knowledge that London will unite behind them and carry them through this unspeakably painful time, and that every person who died last night was worth a thousand of you.

You? I've forgotten you already.

Comments

[fairyniamh]

*hugs* When I saw the news my heart sunk. I am glad you and your friend are well. Even if you are, understandably, a touch shaken.

I will never understand terrorists. They do not change the people they are attacking. Instead, they attract more people to band together against them.

The sad thing though, you're right, we forget about them so easily. We remember our fallen and mourn them. But the chest thumpers? They need to study history. Mass murderers are a lot less scary, than the silent serial killers that are rarely caught.

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

Thank you xx
I was nowhere near London when the attack happened; my main concern was my friend who lives in that area. But it also hit hard because that area of London is where my roots are.
You're totally correct. Throughout the whole of history, terrorists have never grasped the idea that all they achieve is making communities unite against them.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

The three men are all dead - shot by the police.

[kinkthatwinked.livejournal.com]

Best damned news I've heard all day, thank you.

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

hear hear!

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

Within eight minutes. A fantastic response by our boys in blue.

[sasha-dragon.livejournal.com]

*Hugs* That was well said and I'm so happy to hear that your friend Jane is alright. We can't let them stop us doing what we love, going out with friends and having a good time, because if we d that then they have won. I won't live in fear of losers like these,they think they can chip away at our way of life they are wrong, I will continue to find joy and laughter where I can and I won't give these morons a second thought.

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

I couldn't agree more. Events like this never make me feel nervous, they just make me feel bloody minded and defiant. We owe it to those people who died and who were injured to carry on living life as we want to and not giving in to what the terrorists want.
x

[kiramaru7.livejournal.com]

*huggles* I'm glad you're alright & so are your family & friends! I am amazed that there are people, who after sadly seeing this kind of thing repeated and how the people attacked band together, still think this is the thing to do. It's just so senseless & all those poor people who died and where injured & all for what? Nothing, cuz it didn't change a thing in the long run, except harden people's hearts AGAINST those who do such senseless things & the cause they are trying to promote.

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

Thank you - you are so right, these people are weak-minded and completely deluded. All they willl achieve is to unite people against them.
x

[kiramaru7.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. *nods* It's really sad how crazy the world is becoming. Dad just came & said 5 people were killed in Florida by a guy, who was fired from their workplace FOUR months ago. I just can't wrap my head around it. So while my heart goes out to those families, I'm sitting here wondering why that person thought killing those people was going to solve his problems. Like the people over by you, who decided killing other people is going to get the world take them seriously & listen to their problems. *sighs*

[stir-of-echoes.livejournal.com]

Very well said *hugs you*

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

*hugs back*

[herminekurotowa.livejournal.com]

Well said, sister.

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

[jj1564.livejournal.com]

I agree with everything you said, Jane, especially this "every person who died last night was worth a thousand of you." I'm pleased your friend was okay - I hope her husband is better soon, too.

*hugs*

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

Thank you xx
Jane was fine. Sadly Jane's husband isn't going to get better, but he has good days and not so good days, and yesterday was a not so good day. But all things considered, as much as I care about Michael, on this one occasion, I'm glad he did have a bad day because it kept her away from the area.
x

[jj1564.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear about Jane's husband *hugs*

[kinkthatwinked.livejournal.com]

They always fail, IMO. No one changes their religion or really alters their way of life just because of these stupid cowards. Hell, even our own New York City eventually got back to normal, short of rebuilding the towers. So what did these assholes accomplish?

Thank you for posting this. I couldn't have put it better myself.

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

Terrorists are the lowest of the low, and you're absolutely right - 9/11 is the perfect example. What did those morons achieve? Absolutely nothing.

London came through the blitz. It took thirty years to completely rebuild, but we did and we came out stronger. If Hitler couldn't break us, these piss-poor excuses for human beings haven't got a hope in hell!

[sillie]

*hugs*

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

Thank you x

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

What the hell is going on with me lately, I appear to have 'hearted' this and then not actually commented on it! O.o I seem to be completely missing braincells lately!

Anyway, well said that woman!!! I hope jotting it down and then typing it out helped you *hugs* ♥♥

[kattrip033.livejournal.com]

*hug*