Dawn Felagund (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dawn_felagund) wrote2005-07-07 02:03 pm
dawn_felagund) wrote2005-07-07 02:03 pm
Terrorist Bastards
This morning, subways and buses in London were bombed. I have heard that an Islamic fundamentalist group--I haven't heard which yet--is claiming responsibility for the attacks. Bastards! Can I say it enough? Bastards, bastards, bastards!
Luckily, all of my London homies are accounted for so far. Should this happen into the sights of someone affected by the attacks, know that--for what it's worth--my strongest thoughts are with you, your friends, and your families. It is not hard for me to imagine what you are going through, as I can remember what I went through on 9/11. Memory of that day still makes me cry, and I do not cry easily, folks. But that will do it.
What pisses me off the most is that this shit happens in the name of religion. Of religion!!! In the name of a fairy-story that is supposed to promote peace and goodwill. These al-Quaeda fuckers (and I know I just spelled that wrong, but they don't deserve their name spelled right) are just another chapter in a very long book of violence, hate, and intolerance in the name of religion.
I am agnostic, so maybe it is hard for me to understand how people can take this crap literally to the point where they are willing to commit murder--and mass murder at that--because of something they read in a book. I have read parts of the Bible and other religious texts; they are suitable as guides for how one should live his or her life, but when people start taking this stuff too literally, then it seems that hate always flowers not far behind. We have the Moslems bombing trains and crashing planes into buildings; the Christians are bombing abortion clinics and burning people alive because they're gay...what the hell is wrong with people? Do they honestly think that Jesus or Muhammed or whomever their religion idolizes would want them to do this? Why do people feel their own beliefs so threatened because others do not share them? When did private prayer and faith cease to be enough?
(Actually, it never was. I am well aware that religious fanaticism is nothing new; it has been around, probably, as long as religion has. Or not long after.)
Anyway, that done, suffice to say that my coworkers haven't been making this much easier. Diane (Most Annoying Coworker of the Year recipient) has been calling me all bloody day. A minute ago, she beeped me on the Nextel to ask, "Do I have any new warrants in my box?"
"Yes," I said, "one. Kathy brought it today, and I just put it down there."
"It's not the old one I asked you to copy for me, is it?"
Did I not just f***ing say that Kathy brought it today??? Am I the only one around here with functional ears and brain???
(For those who don't know, Diane has been my nemesis for the last year I have worked here. Denser than a block of wood, and who does she seek to blame for her stupidity? I'll give you one good guess.)
That's guvment for you, I guess. Crappily yours,
Medium Dawn Felagund of the Fountain
Luckily, all of my London homies are accounted for so far. Should this happen into the sights of someone affected by the attacks, know that--for what it's worth--my strongest thoughts are with you, your friends, and your families. It is not hard for me to imagine what you are going through, as I can remember what I went through on 9/11. Memory of that day still makes me cry, and I do not cry easily, folks. But that will do it.
What pisses me off the most is that this shit happens in the name of religion. Of religion!!! In the name of a fairy-story that is supposed to promote peace and goodwill. These al-Quaeda fuckers (and I know I just spelled that wrong, but they don't deserve their name spelled right) are just another chapter in a very long book of violence, hate, and intolerance in the name of religion.
I am agnostic, so maybe it is hard for me to understand how people can take this crap literally to the point where they are willing to commit murder--and mass murder at that--because of something they read in a book. I have read parts of the Bible and other religious texts; they are suitable as guides for how one should live his or her life, but when people start taking this stuff too literally, then it seems that hate always flowers not far behind. We have the Moslems bombing trains and crashing planes into buildings; the Christians are bombing abortion clinics and burning people alive because they're gay...what the hell is wrong with people? Do they honestly think that Jesus or Muhammed or whomever their religion idolizes would want them to do this? Why do people feel their own beliefs so threatened because others do not share them? When did private prayer and faith cease to be enough?
(Actually, it never was. I am well aware that religious fanaticism is nothing new; it has been around, probably, as long as religion has. Or not long after.)
Anyway, that done, suffice to say that my coworkers haven't been making this much easier. Diane (Most Annoying Coworker of the Year recipient) has been calling me all bloody day. A minute ago, she beeped me on the Nextel to ask, "Do I have any new warrants in my box?"
"Yes," I said, "one. Kathy brought it today, and I just put it down there."
"It's not the old one I asked you to copy for me, is it?"
Did I not just f***ing say that Kathy brought it today??? Am I the only one around here with functional ears and brain???
(For those who don't know, Diane has been my nemesis for the last year I have worked here. Denser than a block of wood, and who does she seek to blame for her stupidity? I'll give you one good guess.)
That's guvment for you, I guess. Crappily yours,
Medium Dawn Felagund of the Fountain
no subject
I have been feeling alternatingly sick and dizzy for much of the day. It's like 9/11 all over again. That it is an ocean away (for me) this time makes it no better: Lives have still been lost for a stupid reason. I found myself getting rather peeved today at coworkers who were bumbling around like nothing at all had happened and looked at me and said, "What's wrong?" Perhaps I'm being overly sensitive (it's been known to happen before) :)
no subject
I remember 9/11 only too well... I was in my assistantship to earn my professional qualification then and should have been workind and studying that day... instead I spent the day glued to the TV, crying my eyes out.
I had such a horrible moment today when I went through my flist in my mind, just to reassure me that none of them had any reason to be anywhere near London, and then an awful moment of uncertainty about a special friend who returned from Paris last night: I could not remember if they had gone by train or plane or bus and when they were due to return... But she's fine, everyone of my flist is ok, and their friends and loved ones, too.
But this is such a horrible reminder that terrorism is everywhere, all the time. It is only a matter of time until all the other Western countries are struck.
Those bastards use the free and open society they despise so much to randomly kill innocent civilians. It's so ironic!
I can't shrug that off. I just can't.
And the thought "where will it be next time" - and knowing that there will be a next time, that really makes me sick.
For a short, precious year after the German reunification and the collapse of the Soviet Union, I felt that we really had a chance... for a better future, in a freer world.
Now... that feeling is long past.
no subject
(Anonymous) 2005-07-07 09:14 pm (UTC)(link)It is sad, isn't it, when this is one of the rare certainties in our modern world? My husband studied terrorism in college before it was the "cool" thing to study--he was on his way to Intro to Terrorism when the first plane hit on 9/11--and works for Customs now, and he always echoes your sentiments almost to the letter: "It will happen again, but the question is where? When?" Now that he works in downtown DC everyday, I fear always about a London or a Madrid happening here because he takes the train to work. It is hard to convince myself that it is more painful to be afraid all the time than it is to suck it up and remind myself that he does wonderful things for the US and for the world every day--even if he must take a chance in doing so--and that as soon as something could happen in DC, it could happen in Baltimore or anywhere else. Still, I feel relieved when he tells me of a chance to transfer to an office in Baltimore soon....
I am so glad to hear that all of your friends are safe. I must confess to spending the better part of my (work)day, checking my email and my Friends page to watch as, one by one, people checked in or spoke of families and friends who were safe. I have an extreme adversity to the news media as of late, and most of my news came through these channels. I suppose that's okay, though: I was getting news that my friends were safe and that's what counts :)
no subject