Afterthoughts of the London Blast
I’ve woken up early in the morning last Thursday for a brief period. While checking my email messages, I’ve read one from the mailing list of Ninja Tune’s Solid Steel radio show. The subject reads “Solid Steel Tonight is CANCELLED.” Within the body of the message, it stated the following:
Tonights Solid Steel in London at Ruby Lo is cancelled due to the events in central London this morning.
Please keep safe and spare a thought for those that have been caught up in this terrible situation.
Peace.
Events in London this morning? Terrible situation? My first instinct was to open up a web browser and go straight to the CNN web site. Then I saw the headline:
TERROR ROCKS CENTRAL LONDON
At that point, the official toll was that 2 people were dead, with more fatalities expected. I’ve then scanned through other news sites–BBC, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, the Guardian.
As the hours wore on, more fatalities were confirmed, and the extent of the tragedy continued to unfold. Eyewitness accounts were being told; pictures were telling even more than words can fanthom.
I’ve originally wrote most of this entry on the day of the event. Since then, the official fatality count has risen to 50. Another 700 people were injured.
I imagine that Londoners, and the whole of the UK, have been glued all day on the day of the explosions, just as I was glued during both the unfolding and aftermath of the attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001. The similarities seem to be there–transportation infrastructure during the start of the business day were targeted in crowded locations; numerous horror stories of the dead, the missing, and desperate people looking for answers about their loves ones; people banding together to help out one another in need.
I know of many of you who work in and around London, and it is for this reason that I, too, share your concern and pain.
I was in London in early 2003. I remember the Liverpool Station, being one of the main hubs that I’ve used to get around the city. I also remember the Kings Cross station, as I was meeting Chris from Zero dB upon my arrival. I also marvel, in general, of how orderly the crowds of people stream through and about the various stations…something that has to be seen if you are not used to such things. It’s an efficient system, it’s a familiar system.
But somebody has violated that space. And though they’ve done so, it hasn’t seem to have shaken the resolve of people who needed to get to work, tour the city, see loved ones. The explosion has taken lives, and may change many for years to come, perhaps forever; yet, the city goes on. Life goes on. And a determined resolve ensures that the people of London will pull through this, just as the citizens in this country have done.
Brothers and sisters of London, my condolences to you and yours.
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