Terrorism arrests on my doorstep (almost)

[S'mon]

Will do!
If there's a chance to pop by and have a look on one of my monthly visits I'd be grateful of that too

Aye, sure. We play 2 Sundays/month, 1pm-6pm, I can pretty well always fit in one-off players with a little notice.

 

[Psionicist]

S'mons has all reasons to be concerned. However, so does The Thayan Menace. In his original post S'mon stated he is concerned about terrorists in his neighborhood. If that's okay, I don't see any problem at all if The Thayan Menace expresses HIS concern about the powers who are fighting terrorism. These two statements are equally political IMHO: "I don't like terrorists" and "I don't like the anti terrorist measures". Damn, the terrorist attacks killed 60 people or so. But the anti terrorist measures (that is, the own government) has killed 1 innocent man, and created new weird laws.

I think it's unfair to assume only parts of a political thread is actually political.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Getting the Bad Guys

How can you be so certain that the police have got the wrong men?

I never said the police had the wrong men; I just said that we don't automatically know they nabbed the right men.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Only The Heartless Would Ever Question the Police ....

So to say he is jumping the gun or have irrational fears is not only unjustified, it is insensitve to him and other victims of terrorism.

Having concern about mass hysteria in the wake of a legitimate threat does not make one insensitive.

Caring about the fair delivery of justice does not disparage the victims of terrorist attacks.

That being said, this allegedly apolitical thread is clearly meant only for commiserating with S'mon. I was wrong to assume that some measure of polite free speech would be appreciated here.

I will gladly depart without rancor, and leave you all to your discussion of how terrorists make us feel.

Once again, I wish S'mon and his family the best of luck and I sincerely hope that things calm down in their community.

 

[tarchon]

The subtext of your commentary clearly implies panic and fear (i.e., you seem to believe that terrorists are in your neighborhood).

I'm merely suggesting that there is no solid proof of that yet.

It sounded pretty rational to me. S'mon didn't say "aahh! run! terrorists are in my refrigerator yahh!!!!"
He said what happened and was concerned. He seems to believe that terrorists may have connections with his neighborhood, which is quite reasonable given that London has had several terrorist incidents recently and and bunch of people in his neighborhood were just arrested in connection with them. He's not saying "arrest all the Muslims!", "suspend civil liberties now!", or anything like it. You're reading too much into it.

 

[diaglo]

He's not saying "arrest all the Muslims!", "suspend civil liberties now!", or anything like it.

yeah, he doesn't live in the US

 

[S'mon]

Thayan Menace:

>>That being said, this allegedly apolitical thread is clearly meant only for commiserating with S'mon<<

That's right. I have loads of opinions about the proper balance between freedom & security, the threat to secular liberal democracy (which I like) from our own leaders as well as from Al Qaeda, police incompetence, Londonistan and compulsory ID cards, why Rumsfeld & Cheney are BBEGs etc, but it's well established that these things are not up for debate on ENW.

Again, thanks to everyone who has offered commiserations & support.

 

[S'mon]

It sounded pretty rational to me. S'mon didn't say "aahh! run! terrorists are in my refrigerator yahh!!!!".

From S'mon's wife: Ha, ha, many times S'mon has opened the refrigerator and screamed "yahh!", and quite loudly. But this is because I have an unfortunate tendency to forget about past purchases and live in a state of denial about vegatative decay.

BTW - I'm not too impressed with Thayan Menace's analysis of the situation in our neighborhood this morning. It is uncomfortable to wake up hearing about arrests under the Terrorism Act in your area on the radio and it is unnerving to then walk past thickets of cops and reporters to get on a nearly empty Underground train which terrorists had tried to blow up the week before. This discomfort is only increased by insensitive comments which seemed to side immediately with those arrested rather than the unsuspecting, generally law-abiding residents of Tooting (and London generally) who happened to say they were a little worried about recent events.

People are trying to kill us commuters and some of them have succeeded. I live with S'mon and believe me, he's not the kind to jump to conclusions (he's much more of a ponderer or a muller than a jumper). Neither of us are the kind of people who blindly trust authority, but we are, naturally, concerned about our safety, the safety of those we know and care about here and the civic health of this city that I love (not to mention local house prices).

 

[The Thayan Menace]

It's Never That Simple

BTW - I'm not too impressed with Thayan Menace's analysis of the situation in our neighborhood this morning. It is uncomfortable to wake up hearing about arrests under the Terrorism Act in your area on the radio and it is unnerving to then walk past thickets of cops and reporters to get on a nearly empty Underground train which terrorists had tried to blow up the week before. This discomfort is only increased by insensitive comments which seemed to side immediately with those arrested rather than the unsuspecting, generally law-abiding residents of Tooting (and London generally) who happened to say they were a little worried about recent events.

It's not very fair to talk that way about someone you have never met and whose experiences you do not know.

First, I never attempted an in-depth analysis of events in your neighborhood; I simply said that it pays to keep an open mind and not simply accept what authority has to offer.

Second, I have nothing against your family ... though you seem to believe otherwise.

Furthermore, I believe your concerns are valid and I would never tell you how to feel.

So, do me a favor and ascribe motives of insensitivity more judiciously in the future.

Being critical of the justice system does not mean that I support criminals or that I hate victims.

Now ... if you refrain from making personal attacks, I will happily leave this thread and never return ... but I will not be defamed with impunity.

Good day.

 

[reveal]

--snip--

That's the third time you've come in, complained, and then said "Goodbye, you won't see me again" or something to that effect. Is it really gonna happen this time? :\