Thoughts going out to Manchester

[57xx]

A number of posts have been removed from this thread as they could be considered by some as being inflammatory and also based on religious grounds which as you all know is not a subject for discussion on this a model railway forum.

 

Please can we keep this thread to be offering our condolences to those affected. 

 

Thank you. There's plenty of other places for people to argue the toss of the rights and wrongs of it all, this thread was not created for that.

[Ian J.]

I've noticed what I hope are errors in 'Like' buttons where a Funny has been given where it's more likely a Friendly/Supportive was intended. So if you've been giving likes to posts here, please check you haven't inadvertently used Funny, and if you have, it's possible to remove a like and replace it. For a thread like this, taking care when doing such things is perhaps a bit more important than the more regular threads.

[TheSignalEngineer]

A big thank you to our emergency services and health service staff yet again. They are a political football for 95% of the time but still come running to our aid often without regard for their own safety. Times like this are harrowing for them and for their loved ones who hear of an incident and know they will have been called to the scene. .........................

My wife saw one of her friends who works in a local hospital tonight. She had gone home after her normal shift but on hearing that a major incident had been declared sh returned to the hospital and spent the whole night in theatre helping to treat people with shrapnel wounds. These dedicated people need all the help and support for what they do without thought for themselves at times like this.

[APOLLO]

Heartening to read HM The Queen has today visited the children affected in The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4541026/The-Queen-visits-Royal-Manchester-Children-s-Hospital.html

 

91 and still going strong, with a heart of gold.

 

God bless you Ma'am.

 

Brit15

[kevinlms]

I've noticed what I hope are errors in 'Like' buttons where a Funny has been given where it's more likely a Friendly/Supportive was intended. So if you've been giving likes to posts here, please check you haven't inadvertently used Funny, and if you have, it's possible to remove a like and replace it. For a thread like this, taking care when doing such things is perhaps a bit more important than the more regular threads.

Sorry Ian, as you suggested I made a mistake to post 5 & put a funny in. Most embarrassing. I have now changed it to a Friendly/Supportive.

 

Perhaps it might be an idea where you see such things in future, to send a private message asking if the correct response was made?

 

Edit to add. Or if you don't wish to risk a debate (which some might find distressing), ask a mod to do so.

 

Apologies again.

Edited May 25, 2017 by kevinlms

[Arthur]

 

It's very easily done Kevin, especially when using an iPad or tablet. Unfortunately there is no way later of checking your ratings other than searching through every post.

 

Some while back I was rereading a thread and noted a really odd rating on a post, what clown left that I thought, had a look and it had been me!

 

.

[Edwardian]

I just wanted to share this, because it exercised me at the time, so posting it is cathartic, and it summed up why I believe that a discussion of politics and the rights and wrongs of any political or religious background to such an attack has no place in such a topic as this.

 

The exchange took place in a hobby forum with a much greater international flavour than RMWeb and where Brits are in a minority.  It has a similar, sensible, ban on politics. 

 

In response to a post about the events of 22 May, there were many replies from people all over the world signalling sympathy, support, solidarity and condemnation of the attack.  As we felt, for instance after 9/11 and in response to attacks in Paris, there is a genuine and spontaneous outbreak of fellow feeling. 

 

One response included no expression of sympathy or support, however.  It was all the more surprising because the poster was from the US, which is among the nations that has experienced devastating and indiscriminate attacks on its civilian population.

 

On the 23 May he posted:

 

This is not a politics forum so I want to be very careful and respectful. But the West does not have clean hands when it comes to killing children with bombs.

 

Not the most outrageous post in the world, perhaps, but inapposite on the day many of us were learning of the shocking attack, and I found it vexing.  As this was the internet, not a face to face conversation, I was unable to give him the benefit of a corrective and educational slap across the face.  So, instead, I typed this:

 

I am going to say this just once - and ban me if you like - but I am profoundly disturbed by any reference to politics in relation to this atrocity. A reference to politics has no place here. On the radio, they are naming some of the dead children as I type. That might give you some indication of my state of mind.

 

We are talking about the deliberate, callous and indiscriminate murder of 22 people including 8 children.

 

It cannot be justified. Period. It cannot be justified by reference to whatever aims may have motivated it. Nor can it be justified by bogus arguments about what western governments may or may not have done to others, however egregious such conduct may be believed to have been. Who did the dead of Manchester kill? Only by the twisted logic of collective guilt could you claim that the victims had any responsibility for atrocities elsewhere, real or imagined.

 

I trust no one here would attempt to justify what was done in Manchester, but I am afraid that the comparison drawn between it and the actions of western governments overseas gives the appearance of such an attempt, and I found that crass and inappropriate.

 

This attack must be understood and condemned for the evil that it was, leaving us to grieve for those lost and to offer solidarity and support for those whose lives have been changed by it.

 

Britain is grieving. Please respect that rather than turning this into some High School debate about the foreign policy of western governments.

 

I am touched by all the sympathetic responses that have been posted, however. We are all touched by such events and we all share a little in the grief, whether the tragedy touches New York, Paris, London, Kenya, Mumbai, Manchester or wherever.

 

Now, that's coming it a bit high for me, so I hope I was not too harsh on what was probably merely an act of thoughtless insensitivity, though no one on the forum concerned has done other than support the post.

 

But, it's my take on why, as Mod4 has said, this is a topic for expressions of condolence, and perhaps, if we are honest, for helping us to come to terms with what has happened.   

 

There is anger, naturally, but overwhelmingly there is sadness and sympathy.

[rob D2]

I just wanted to share this, because it exercised me at the time, so posting it is cathartic, and it summed up why I believe that a discussion of politics and the rights and wrongs of any political or religious background to such an attack has no place in such a topic as this.

 

The exchange took place in a hobby forum with a much greater international flavour than RMWeb and where Brits are in a minority.  It has a similar, sensible, ban on politics. 

 

In response to a post about the events of 22 May, there were many replies from people all over the world signalling sympathy, support, solidarity and condemnation of the attack.  As we felt, for instance after 9/11 and in response to attacks in Paris, there is a genuine and spontaneous outbreak of fellow feeling. 

 

One response included no expression of sympathy or support, however.  It was all the more surprising because the poster was from the US, which is among the nations that has experienced devastating and indiscriminate attacks on its civilian population.

 

On the 23 May he posted:

 

This is not a politics forum so I want to be very careful and respectful. But the West does not have clean hands when it comes to killing children with bombs.

 

Not the most outrageous post in the world, perhaps, but inapposite on the day many of us were learning of the shocking attack, and I found it vexing.  As this was the internet, not a face to face conversation, I was unable to give him the benefit of a corrective and educational slap across the face.  So, instead, I typed this:

 

I am going to say this just once - and ban me if you like - but I am profoundly disturbed by any reference to politics in relation to this atrocity. A reference to politics has no place here. On the radio, they are naming some of the dead children as I type. That might give you some indication of my state of mind.

 

We are talking about the deliberate, callous and indiscriminate murder of 22 people including 8 children.

 

It cannot be justified. Period. It cannot be justified by reference to whatever aims may have motivated it. Nor can it be justified by bogus arguments about what western governments may or may not have done to others, however egregious such conduct may be believed to have been. Who did the dead of Manchester kill? Only by the twisted logic of collective guilt could you claim that the victims had any responsibility for atrocities elsewhere, real or imagined.

 

I trust no one here would attempt to justify what was done in Manchester, but I am afraid that the comparison drawn between it and the actions of western governments overseas gives the appearance of such an attempt, and I found that crass and inappropriate.

 

This attack must be understood and condemned for the evil that it was, leaving us to grieve for those lost and to offer solidarity and support for those whose lives have been changed by it.

 

Britain is grieving. Please respect that rather than turning this into some High School debate about the foreign policy of western governments.

 

I am touched by all the sympathetic responses that have been posted, however. We are all touched by such events and we all share a little in the grief, whether the tragedy touches New York, Paris, London, Kenya, Mumbai, Manchester or wherever.

 

Now, that's coming it a bit high for me, so I hope I was not too harsh on what was probably merely an act of thoughtless insensitivity, though no one on the forum concerned has done other than support the post.

 

But, it's my take on why, as Mod4 has said, this is a topic for expressions of condolence, and perhaps, if we are honest, for helping us to come to terms with what has happened.   

 

There is anger, naturally, but overwhelmingly there is sadness and sympathy.

 

Er, yeah, that's pretty much what happened here as well. Let's not revisit it.

[Ian J.]

Sorry Ian, as you suggested I made a mistake to post 5 & put a funny in. Most embarrassing. I have now changed it to a Friendly/Supportive.

 

Perhaps it might be an idea where you see such things in future, to send a private message asking if the correct response was made?

 

Edit to add. Or if you don't wish to risk a debate (which some might find distressing), ask a mod to do so.

 

Apologies again.

 

No need to apologise. I mentioned the issue in-thread as I noticed more than one Funny, not just one from yourself. Had it only been one I saw I probably wouldn't even have mentioned it.

[brianusa]

Wise words form our Mod.  We all have sympathy for the victims and probably anger when it comes to the perpetrator and his religious views.  Another message indicated that in earlier times it would not have been so widely and frequently covered by todays media.  This part is relevant to the times as a continual TV barrage of repeats and reruns of what we have seen many times before, keep the country reminded every few hours of sadness and horror, which is exactly what the terrorists want.   This incident has had excellent world wide coverage but there is a time when normalcy must return in our lives.  It will not be possible sadly for some but for the country everyday things in life must return to what is considered normal in this day and age.

 

Brian.

Edited May 25, 2017 by brianusa

[Ozexpatriate]

Heartening to read HM The Queen has today visited the children affected in The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

 

91 and still going strong, with a heart of gold.

HM is indeed a remarkable person.

 

CNN carried a similar story.

[kandc_au]

Heartening to read HM The Queen has today visited the children affected in The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4541026/The-Queen-visits-Royal-Manchester-Children-s-Hospital.html

 

91 and still going strong, with a heart of gold.

 

God bless you Ma'am.

 

Brit15

God Save the Queen!

 

Khris