Thoughts & prayers to those in Berlin and beyond

[The Scorpion]

As someone who will be attending Edinburgh City's Christmas Market soon and mother of a son with a friend living in Berlin whom he will be visiting directly after Christmas, my/our hearts go out to those affected by this murderous act on innocent people at Berlins' Christmas market.

Thinking of all those involved, their families and all in Berlin at this time.

Much love, hugs and compassion,

Sue & family

[lavender27]

Our hearts saddened

[GroveLaneMan]

Totally . Very sad . I spent a couple of days at Lollapolloooza this year and had the best time . I love that city and the people were fantastic x

[JohnL]

Very sad.

I wish some people weren't trying to make political capital.

[Nigello]

I wish some people weren't trying to make political capital.

You mean like those who are actually doing it - in the name of (political/fundamentalist/anti-democractic) Islam?

[????]

The politics as always is horrible (at the edges mainly but the edges are bigger nowadays)

a whole bunch of "we told you so" (with some relish too) on the right and a whole bunch of apologists or anti-racists platitudes on the left. It's like paint by numbers on Social Media - the same old crap after every outrage...Twitter's a depressing place for proper middle of the road people after these events

[uncleglen]

These bollards were put in place in Birmingham because there was a serious threat given out

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/british-christmas-market-installed-concrete-9487437

After Nice you would think that this method of murder would be factored in to the defense everywhere

[mrure26]

Our hearts should be saddened by the atrocities that happen in our world now. In Nice, Berlin and also Aleppo, just a few. There are many more. The innocents who are destroyed, the lives devastated. All are caused by hate. Let's try and think positive thoughts and hope for a more positive and peaceful planet.

Magnified and sanctified

Be thy holy name

Vilified and crucified

In the human frame

A million candles burning

For the help that never came

You want it darker

We kill the flame

(Apologies to Leonard Cohen)

[Mystic Mog]

mrure26 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Our hearts should be saddened by the atrocities

> that happen in our world now. In Nice, Berlin and

> also Aleppo, just a few. There are many more. The

> innocents who are destroyed, the lives devastated.

> All are caused by hate. Let's try and think

> positive thoughts and hope for a more positive and

> peaceful planet.

>

> Magnified and sanctified

> Be thy holy name

> Vilified and crucified

> In the human frame

> A million candles burning

> For the help that never came

> You want it darker

> We kill the flame

>

> (Apologies to Leonard Cohen)

Thank you for a lovely post, very applicable.

[JohnL]

Nigello Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I wish some people weren't trying to make

> political capital.

>

> You mean like those who are actually doing it - in

> the name of

> (political/fundamentalist/anti-democractic) Islam?

I was referring to Farage - but I'm going to ignore him from now

on.

Hope they catch whoever did it quickly - as they said on Sky,

no DNA just seems strange.

[Otta]

They've identified a suspect.

[Jeremy]

uncleglen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> After Nice you would think that this method of

> murder would be factored in to the defense

> everywhere

Was discussing the same with people at work yesterday... I imagine it's only a matter of time before all public spaces are protected by reinforced bollards or other "street furniture", especially if there's scope for a large vehicle to get a run-up.

[JohnL]

He left ID documents behind.

He's from Tataouine in Tunisia

[JohnL]

From Evening Standard today

"The man was named as Anis A who German media described as ?highly dangerous? and a member of a ?large? Islamic organisation."

Yet we've never heard of this organisation - unless they mean ISIS.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/berlin-attack-german-police-hunt-tunisian-man-after-finding-id-card-under-lorry-seat-a3425456.html

[uncleglen]

Also he had been refused asylum in June and was not removed....what an absolute shambles and we are all at risk

[Sue]

uncleglen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

.what an absolute shambles and we

> are all at risk

Whilst that is true, it was very scary being around in the seventies (IRA etc) when there were constant bomb scares, and sometimes actual bombs.

And in the fifties/sixties it was the threat of nuclear war.

And then in the forties there were air raids.

Of course this is bad, and please don't think I'm diminishing the impact on those affected, but we are lucky we've had quite long periods when there hasn't been something to be terrified of.

Soon it will all be irrelevant anyway. Climate change gathers apace, and the US president (God help us) wants to undo all the steps that have been/were to have been taken to try to prevent it.

Sorry for my pessimism.

ETA: Is it just me who thinks it is odd that you carry your ID papers with you when you go on a killing mission?

[JohnL]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Whilst that is true, it was very scary being

> around in the seventies (IRA etc) when there were

> constant bomb scares, and sometimes actual bombs.

I remember being evacuated from shopping centers at

least once a month and regular bombings.

We have had a peaceful few years in a way - maybe we are

actually returning to 'normality' unfortunately.

[uncleglen]

Yes but the current threats have been foisted on to us by the vote catching antics of power crazy politicians. Blair did the UK a great disservice in his personal quest

https://www.migrationwatchuk.org/pressarticle/83

[Sue]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/truth-berlin-christmas-market-terror-9500721

[JohnL]

uncleglen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Yes but the current threats have been foisted on

> to us by the vote catching antics of power crazy

> politicians. Blair did the UK a great disservice

> in his personal quest

> https://www.migrationwatchuk.org/pressarticle/83

And as most accept that Blair was wrong over Iraq

and Afghanistan and in general intervention doesn't

work.

Then we're being criticised for NOT going into Syria.

[Lisa Taylor]

Every innocent soul lost & their families will be in my prayers!!!

[Otta]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

it was very scary being

> around in the seventies (IRA etc) when there were

> constant bomb scares, and sometimes actual bombs.

There was still a fair bit of that going on in the 90s.

[uncleglen]

yes- London Bridge station 1992. On the opposite platform from where I got off, just missed the explosion but the tannoy was telling everyone to move quickly to the nearest exit. It was rush hour and everyone was running...can you imagine it today...

[red devil]

Manchester bomb in '92, flattened the Arndale Centre near to where I worked. Madchester indeed...

[Otta]

Without wanting to sound blas?, Manchester looks a lot better now than it did before that bomb!