Ariane Grande Explosion Manchester

[AndrewG]

Thinking of everyone caught up in the chaos in Manchester whatever the cause.

Just (almost exactly) 4 years ago many of us on this forum including Meat were there at the same place.

As Meat said that night we could really do with more acts of kindness in this world.

Let's hope for the best for everyone. :heart:

[Sue K]

Please know I am holding you all closeAsThis to my heart... A bit in shock here... very very upset...

Sue K ... xoxo

[PanicLord]

Thanks all for the best wishes. I live near and work in Manchester. Work is very subdued this morning. No fatalities a couple of people know people injured or in shock.

We are shaken, not stirred.

[AndrewG]

Mother just on BBC news looking for her daughter, not seen her since last night. Horrendous. Can't imagine what they are going through.

I'm critical of politician they just had on saying the city was a better place after the 96 bombing. Almost suggesting it is a good thing these things happen?! I understand why he is saying what he is saying but very first reason for having leaders / politicians is exactly to keep us safe. They should be critical of themselves and each other and try to find a solution rather than same old message "Keep calm and carry on" imo. These were children FFS.

[CarylB]

I see what you are saying Andrew .. but I also understand that he was emphasising that these wanton and cruel acts do not make us buckle. As I watched events unfold in the small hours today, I was struck by a word used by one reporter there .. an air of defiance in the way people outside the arena responded .. that courage and will to help those fleeing the arena, from first responders and arena staff who put others' safety before their own, to the people of Manchester who came out to help those escaping the arena, right down to the taxi driver from Liverpool who had drive over with a group of cabbies to offer free lifts home to Scousers.

Yes, today I feel great anger at such a callous and wicked act by some deranged and cruel person; heartache for all those directly affected, for those slaughtered, those injured, and all those who are today stunned by grief or in vigil at bedsides; horror for those parents who have no idea if their children are safe or not, and for the city of Manchester and its arena where I have spent so many joyful evenings. just as last night should have been for so many .. and such sadness that it was ruined, even for those who escaped safely. But above all a deeply sad despair at such senseless acts of terror that will never bring us to our knees.

It's also terrible that despite all the safety and searching of people going into a concert we now have to find ways of maintaining security as they leave .. a nightmare, as thousands all move out en masse to catch public transport, get to their cars, or in the case of young people to find parents who have come to take them home.

Wicked, senseless, pointless and devastating. Yet again I am reminded of the words of Blue Sky .. When will we hear and live by these words ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaKlLevzEzc

[melon]

Just (almost exactly) 4 years ago many of us on this forum including Meat were there at the same place.


I was just saying this to mum not half an hour ago.

It's a strange feeling seeing these places I have such good memories of in such duress.

I'm thinking of everyone.

[AndrewG]

I see what you are saying Andrew .. but I also understand that he was emphasising that these wanton and cruel acts do not make us buckle. As I watched events unfold in the small hours today, I was struck by a word used by one reporter there .. an air of defiance in the way people outside the arena responded .. that courage and will to help those fleeing the arena, from first responders and arena staff who put others' safety before their own, to the people of Manchester who came out to help those escaping the arena, right down to the taxi driver from Liverpool who had drive over with a group of cabbies to offer free lifts home to Scousers.


But these events do make people buckle. To say they don't is just not being realistic.
Ariana Grande will be cancelling her European tour. Take That cannot possibly perform at the same arena this week and I am sure ticket holders will be re-considering going to concerts at least in the short term.

We do not pay politicians to constantly pat people on the back how well they are behaving in the worst situations. We pay them to prevent these situations to arise in the first place. That is their task they wanted to do and they should recognise that and execute a plan or at least come up with one. I do not pay my taxes for them to decide whether my recycled waste can be collected in a blue wheelie bin or a red box. It really isn't important in the light of children's safety.

I know many local and national politicians will rather spend their daily work life on insignificant stuff or stuff that may not rock any boats as it may be considered unpopular but we need to prevent this madness from happening at the rate it is. Charlie Hebdo, Bataclan, Brussels, Nice, Westminster and now Manchester Arena. There are too many now.

[CarylB]

Andrew, people falter, some things get cancelled. My point was that Manchester does not fall to its knees in response to these acts of wanton violence, any more than London, or this country. We didn't during the decades of IRA terror . we don't now. We ARE realists, and we accept there is wickedness in the world, we cannot prevent it all, but we don't stay locked in our homes but get on with the day.

It IS the job of those in the public eye, politicians or not, to remind us that we are strong, to encourage us to keep going. It is not anyone's "task" to "to prevent these situations to arise in the first place." All they can do is do their best to prevent as many as they can, to learn from each event, and to do their best to find ways of trying as best they can to prevent the same thing happening again. There is no realistic way they can ever make our lives completely safe from any and every attack by the deranged with an axe to grind. They can express their horror and sadness when it does, and remind us that we are stronger, we do not give in, and that while their despicable acts may cruelly hurt many, they will not prevail over us.

[Tina.K.]

The purple seats in the mid area. I remember being surprised one could sit in the mid area while most of the times at concert halls these are places to stand. And although we could sit, everybody was standing, clapping and cheering at Last at Bat in 2013. Great memories...

First thing I saw on tv were those purple seats. Absolutely horrendous. No words...

[AndrewG]

Andrew, people falter, some things get cancelled. My point was that Manchester does not fall to its knees in response to these acts of wanton violence, any more than London, or this country. We didn't during the decades of IRA terror . we don't now. We ARE realists, and we accept there is wickedness in the world, we cannot prevent it all, but we don't stay locked in our homes but get on with the day.

It IS the job of those in the public eye, politicians or not, to remind us that we are strong, to encourage us to keep going. It is not anyone's "task" to "to prevent these situations to arise in the first place." All they can do is do their best to prevent as many as they can, to learn from each event, and to do their best to find ways of trying as best they can to prevent the same thing happening again. There is no realistic way they can ever make our lives completely safe from any and every attack by the deranged with an axe to grind. They can express their horror and sadness when it does, and remind us that we are stronger, we do not give in, and that while their despicable acts may cruelly hurt many, they will not prevail over us.

I disagree.
When the Luftwaffe attacked Britain we didn't just keep calm and carry on.

The time is coming to lock and load. I honestly think that. The frequency of the attacks is increasing, not decreasing, certainly across western Europe. The statistics clearly show us that.

This is not business as usual when nails are driven into eye sockets of 11 year old girls. The line is being crossed wherever this ISIS scum resides, here or in the Middle East.

I simply disagree with politicians who are wanting us to go on with our daily lives when lives are being ripped apart around us because of policies that they are obviously invoking or not invoking.
To simply say we should live with it is unacceptable. If they had said that during the second world war would have been unacceptable too.

I do not hold Tony Blair solely responsible for the exponential trouble that has been caused because of the Iraq war but to still give him air time and that he doesn't know when to shut his gob is incredible. One almost would want to invoke the exact opposite of any policies that he thinks we should have considering the result of what happened 14-15 years ago. Our continued dealings in weapons of mass destruction that we sell to Saudi Arabia is shameful too.
Just a few examples of what I think ought to be discussed by politicians instead of the keep calm and carry on stuff.

But anyway sorry to deviate....

I hope those families with kids and relatives going to the show that were affected will have closure on their loved ones by now.
Many must have been going through absolute agony during the last 15 hours.

[CarylB]

There is not enough darkness in the world to put out the light of one candle. Millions of Mancunians stand tall as shining candles in the darkness today. I salute them.

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd173/CarylBurton/Posted%20on%20internet/candle_zps5rscl6mn.jpg

[Sue K]

My thoughts are with the people of London and the UK ... Once again terror strikes... Once again... we shall stand strong against it all ... Love and hugs ...

Sue K ... xoxo

[CarylB]

Thank you xx