Monday, July 25, 2005
Living In Britain
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I turns out that despite initial communications from the Met, the guy who was shot by on the Tube on Friday was not connected with the bombers of July 7th. He was totally innocent and didn't deserve to die. A victim some would say, of tragic circumstances; others of a trigger-happy police force.
It is a terrible thing to have happened, and I can only imagine how the news was received by the man's family back in Brazil. I hope they can get through it.
Many of the newspapers and media outlets are now running stories designed to hype up the population into fighting the "police state", to work against Blair and saying things like "anyone with dark skin is now a target for gun-toting police". It's a typical reaction to respond negatively against the government and the authorities when something like this happens in such a public manner. However, I have to disagree with the media-hype surrounding this tragic incident purely by sticking to the facts:
1. The man was seen leaving a building already under surveillance by the anti-terrorist squad.
2. He was wearing a large and bulky overcoat on a very hot, sunny day.
3. When asked to stop, he ran.
4. He ran, of all places, into the nearest Tube station; scene of several bomb attacks over the last two weeks.
Faced with this information - none of it based on his religion or skin colour - the anti-terrorist unit had to make an instant choice. Do they let the man run off then wait to see if 52 more innocent people die in a bomb explosion underground? Or do they shoot to kill? I know what I would have done.
There will be an investigation as the public demands, and as always happens when someone is shot by the police, people will have to take the blame. The public are up in arms about this so-called "police state" and the "big brother" aspect of living in Britain. All of it total nonsense.
Here are some more facts about living in Britain in this day and age:
1. It is one of the top three safest countries to live, on the entire planet.
2. Living in Britain allows you the freedom to be able to walk down the street and do whatever you like with your life; something not afforded to the citizens of many other nations.
3. Freedom is taken for granted by the majority and guarded by the minority.
4. The ability to live as independent and free individuals has not fallen on these shores by luck or mere chance. It is as a result of there being no single written constitution.
5. Our Monarchy, ensures the stability and security of our nation.
The shoot to kill policy is an awful thing to have to implement in any country, but I think it is the right one. In the instance of the Brazilian man there has clearly been a regrettable breakdown both in the execution of it and in the communications afterwards. However, the facts of the incident are plain and they will do little to appease the family of the victim.
As has now been revealed, it appears he only ran because his Visa had expired. One has to wonder though, what went through his mind when a dozen SO19 operatives with heavy firearms told him to stop? Did he really think they were all there for him because his Visa had expired? My advice; if a policeman tells you to stop and turn around - do it. The police, the armed services, the security and intelligence agencies are all there to protect our right to freedom. We should not forget that and we should never take it for granted.
Unfortunately, we are at war with an invisible enemy. It pains me to say that there is bound to be casualties. But we must continue to eradicate the evil that has arrived on our shores or there will be another atrocity like July 7th. There will be more blood-shed. There will be more innocents slain. These people do not care who the victims are.
The next time you are sitting on a bus think about the person sitting behind you and say to yourself, "What if they were strapped to explosives?" Hard to imagine if you live in a city so far unaffected, like Edinburgh. If you're from New York, London or Baghdad you'll know the feeling of looking over your shoulder; watching your countrymen and women. If you live in Edinburgh imagine never seeing your kids or your parents again. Maybe then you'll realise that people put their lives on the line every day, so you can sit on a bus without that fear. Maybe then, you'll be glad these people are there to do their best to protect us.
On a less immediate note, I wrote out another re-write of the G8 Story (still untitled). I think it is finished but I think I may also have to bounce this one off a few other minds to see if it works or not.
I kept writing till about 1am, trying to figure out if I had finished the story or not; did it need more, less or just some tightening. I also got some writing done on the Fronds of Though journal. I've got a few things I want to insert in it, maybe, and once I've got them I'll almost be ready to pass it on.
I'm reluctant to comment on it at the moment because I'm not actually sure who the final audience is going to be. I'll need to think more on this aspect of it.
And of course I made my way to the record shop for 9.30 this morning to buy the new Madness single; just like being a kid again! I called Gail and my sisters and when I got home I rushed immediately for the CD player. Sublime!
1 Comments:
Enjoy your new CD! (Oh, and by the way, my character, Uncle Monty, just got out of three days in the stocks on bread and water in the 15th century--he's home now in the present, he's had a shower, and guess what he's drinking?)
Irn-Bru.
;-)
