Suspected suicide bomber shot at Stockwell station.

[cori]

Have just heard an unconfirmed report on the radio. Anyone else?

I dont think the sitation we are discussing has anything to do with racism.

The suicide bombers fit a pattern of appearance dont they?

I listen to fivelive via t'internet but it keeps crashing (even with broadband connection) suspect it is volume of people trying to log on.

This has obviously upset alot of people and the comments that i have made were not meant to upset or offend anyone.
However, you must see that this has got people scared, everyone is different and as much as some of you think "I will get on that train" or "They wont stop me doing my usual things" that some of us think "I just want to be safe and sound with my family".

Thank you Enid (again). That really means a lot.

No sound cards on the PC's at owrk so I can't even do that Katierocket. Is there any news about parliment square.

If I lived in Yorkshire at the time of the Yorkshire Ripper I would have been absolutely terrified of white men.

I don't think aloha or springchicken are racist. We all do things that we might not be proud of or admit to. I also will not get into a tube carriage if there is a lone male in it, that does not mean that I believe that all men are rapists, merely that if I try not to put myself in a situation that I am not comfortable with.

After 9/11 I have always been suspicious of EVERYONE on the tube (yes it is slight paranoia) and where possible I scruntise everyone to see what they are carrying, whether it be a bomb or a potential nutter with a knife. Shopping in Watford recently I was close to a man who was shouting, swearing and hurling abuse at people, I moved away from him but again I do not consider myself to have been discriminating against someone who was mentally ill. I also cross the road when I see a large dog but again I don't hate animals.

I would be sincerely offended if anyone considered me to be a racist/man hater/disability discriminator/dog hater because of this.

When dh and I flew to Spain a few years ago the airline staff had to remove a very confused looking asian man from the plane before it took off as he didn't have a ticket. The bloke in front of us reminded the staff to check whether he had checked in a bag to the airplane hold. They laughed it off as a joke and didnt double check - I am ashamed to admit I pretty much crapped myself until the plane touched down in Spain.

I'm just glad I don't work in London anymore and don't have to think about whether I'd get on a bus or tube. I do know that lots of people who normally get the tube are walking. And cycling.

My Dad was taken in as a suspect for the yorkshire ripper as lots of things matched - Im sure he wasnt offended as he knew he wasnt but accepted there was similiarities in his appearence, car, accent etc etc

im watching bbc news 24 and parliament sq hasnt been mentioned.

thanks pecka its just that twinset & pearls posted about it earlier.

Enid that is mad, I thought they were so hot on unaccompanied baggage on airlines.

I know! maybe they already knew that he hadn't checked anything in

The sad thing is that the situation exists where assumptions can be made imo. My mum travelled to see us last week on the train, and related the story of the person sitting next to her - an Egyptian with a rucksack came and sat next to her, after a while demanded to know where she was travelling to. She asked him where he was travelling to, he was confused about where he was going. He then started singing loudly in Arabic, took a magazine, rolled it up and started beating the chair in front of him. She said she sat it out, but was extremely relieved when he got off at Leeds.

She fully admitted that had he not been Egyptian/Middle Eastern origin but otherwise identical she would have found it a lot funnier than she did. As it was, she was just very scared. With as it turns out no reason.

Frankly, if I thought I as what at risk from someone and took actions to remove myself from a perceived danger - I wouldn't give a flying f*ck whether anyone thought I was racist, sexist or a complete loon as long as got safely back to my family. People will think whatever they want - their problem, not mine.

but like u said Enid, u wud change ur choice of shoes. I know it was meant lightly, but why would the bombers still go round with huge rucksacks when tehy kno ppl are going to be watching them?

Must go now though.

I'm surprised that people have only been cautious since 9/11. I've been cautious of unattended bags, etc. all my life. But perhaps I am over-attuned to it (comes of being accused of being a bomb-maker since the age of 7, I guess!)

I was at an airport a few years ago and a woman asked me to look after her luggage because she'd realised she'd left her book with her friend. She was really offended when I refused. I said to her "look, it's for your own protection as well - how d'you know I wouldn't put a bomb in it?" I know she thought I was demented, but I thought she she was mad for not being more security conscious. Different angles, I suppose.

Good post Windermere. i really don't think aloha is being at all racist here. it's not just about "feelings we might be ashamed of" either. it's a rational response to a very current threat and a horrible situation.

We congratulate ourselves on being a multicultural, tolerant society, but the first hint of trouble sends us scattering and brings out the latent prejudice extremists of all races rely on
any bets on turn out for the BNP next by-election?
I'm very sad too

Ninah, It's hardly 'the first hint of trouble'.

Fwiw, I don't agree with aloha on the getting-off-a-train thing, but I don't think she's being racist either. I wouldn't get off a tube just because a 'suspicious' person got on, but nor could I say with my hand on my heart that I wouldn't feel jumpy. It's stupid, I hate it, I don't want to feel this way (and in fact up until today I didn't really) but now I would be a least a little cautious.

OK, since 7.7 then

Funnily enough, it is this discussion that has made me scared (and I do use tubes and buses, every day for work, and when it's term-time we do the school run that way) - for the first time.

I don't dispute anyone's right to protect themselves against a risk they are, right then, facing. But fear is contagious, and that's what the bad guys want. This has made me understand those WWII bans on "loose talk".

Anyone who's feeling like me, go on over to one of the many support websites for a bit of fighting talk - it may be bravado, who knows, but it sure feels better than having the wind put up.

Haven't had time to read all the comments here so sorry if I'm groundhogging (agian!)

I think we all have an innate fear of the stranger or the unknown other which maybe the root of racism but which we learn to overcome by education and crucially, empathy.

Terrorism does't just mean to kill, it means to spread disorder and distrust between and amongst communities. At some level I think we're all meant (from the terrorists pov) to begin to look at one another suspirioulsy. I don't think we'd be human if we didn't to some degree and those of us who don't wish to endulge such fears can try to reason against them.

But it's a strong emotion fear, it's not rational and it once its out it's pretty hard to get back into the box. I don't think it's racist to feel that fear. It is racist to discriminate on the grounds of it. But getting off a bus isn't discrimination, thats just fear. And thats the whole point, for them at least isn't it? Not really explaining myself properly. Hope you can see what I mean.

Great post MT!!

MT