London attacks

[Sweder]

I think the word is 'bugger'. It might be 'burger', as in to wish endless MacDonalds upon them. Either way it's not pleasant.

I've heard from just about everyone I know who could have been in that area of London and thankfully they're all OK. Thoughts go out to the families and loved ones of the innocent people killed, maimed, injured and traumatised by faceless, intolerant cowards.

Now for the whinge.
Why oh why oh why must our rolling news media go through this mawkish process of body count assessment? It's like some sick, obscene game show. I know that a lot of people were hurt and injured. It makes no difference to the bereaved if their loss was shared by 36 families or 136, or 'only' 6. I listened for a while as Radio 5 Live grappled for definitive numbers, interviewing priceless members of our incredible emergency services, all the while probing for 'estimates' and 'evaluations'.

Perhaps the time has come for the media to take a long hard look at the way they cover these barbarous atrocities. I spent 30 minutes listening to a variety of experts explain how power surges down the underground lines had caused the incidents between 9 and 10 this morning. It’s our duty to the dead and injured and their families to tread with caution and respect, to allow the emergency services conjecture-free time to do their jobs.

On a more upbeat note I was reminded of something I’d heard after 9/11 in the midst of the unfolding horror. That the natural reaction to events of this kind is for one to flee, to run away from the danger, to find a safe place in which to shelter. And there are our police, our paramedics and our fire-fighters, running full tilt straight into harms way, with only thoughts of saving lives. God bless them.

By the way, does anyone else feel this is an odd forum for this discussion?
Hug your children/ loved ones/ self tonight.