Your regularly scheduled Fourth of July column will return as soon as I
finish revising it, but right now I think writing this is more
important. London has been attacked by terrorists. What is this world
coming to? I’d like to know what London ever did to them. Those were
innocents that died. But that is such with all terrorist bombings. They
don’t persuade anyone to their cause by doing this, but that’s not what
they’re after. Terrorism itself exists solely to cause terror. They
cause fear from the populace after an attack.
I’ve always loved London, ever since my vacation
there, four or five years ago. I haven’t started to watch the news yet
because I don’t think I could stand the images. This attack is what
everyone has been dreading since September 11th.
As horrifying as this attack is, it’s important that
we remember a few things. There have been no verifiable claims made
from the perpetrators. There was only one, unverifiable one made by a
group claiming Al-Qaeda links. Even if it should turn out to be
Al-Qaeda, there is no reason to go around with more prejudice against
Muslims. Islam in its true form doesn’t support terrorism, and not all
Muslims are terrorists, in the same way that not all Christians are
members of the Ku Klux Klan. After 9/11, there were some attacks on
Muslims in the streets. I hope people are sensible enough not to let
that happen this time. Remember when I was talking about religion in
schools? Well, America has a freedom of religion. Not all people who
are grouped together by their neighbors think as a whole.
My thoughts and hopes go out to those people who
were injured or killed, and to those who lost someone. Reports are
still coming in as I write this. There are at least 50 confirmed dead,
but there probably will be more in a day or so. I have to say that the
numbers don’t matter. It could be only one person who died, but if that
person is your parent or your sibling or your fiancé, it’s a
huge loss all the same. Everyone has a private nightmare that someone
close to them won’t come home one night. Everyone who dies in these
attacks is a nightmare come true for whoever it is that features them
in their nightmare.
I’ll just leave you with a poem written for this great horror:
Bright lights fill the sky,
Life flashes before someone’s eyes,
Then there’s an explosion,
And no one knows what’s going on.
Terror and confusions fill every person’s heart,
That’s what always happens when something this big makes a start,
No one knows how many died this day,
How many passed along that final way?
Numbers don’t matter, when the one lost was a friend,
It’s a horrible way for a friendship to end.
No matter who was lost, those left behind are in pain,
Saying goodbye all over again.
Tragedy this great is a terrible thing,
We all want to stop those who more will bring.
That will be hard, and we all know it well,
But in the end, we may break this bitter hell.
Goodbyes are said, and the rest of us watch,
As many good people are laid to their rest.
In the end, perhaps a curtain will fall,
And the terrorist will stop their deadly quest.
Too much to hope for, too little comfort to take,
A senseless death is hard to accept,
But in the end, it’s not a new concept.
Lights will dim, curtains will fall,
The writing is up there on that wall,
Cold as winter, dark as night,
But the at the end of the tunnel,
There is always light.
Someday, perhaps, we can reach that plateau.
Until then, we must content ourselves with saying “adieu.”
Sleep well, everyone.
~Kira
Kira Schiavone is a high school student who's working on becoming a
professional writer, and enjoys reading and writing rants for the
Fedora Chronicles.
