London bombing nearly hits home

The bomb blasts that went off halfway around the world hit pretty close to home today. My sister Toni and brother-in-law David were on a train to London from Edinburgh when it all went down. I didn't know any detail until this afternoon but my mom and David's mom were aware that Toni and David were traveling to London today (of all days!). Of course, being the honest and open guy that I am, I let Sarah know the sketchy details and it struck her immediately. The "what ifs" flew through her mind and she began crying to me over the phone. I did my best to reassure her but I really didn't know any better than she did what their fate was.

I did, however, find out second hand from my mom that their train, although slated to arrive at one of the stations the terrorists hit in London, they were stopped in Birmingham and decided to grab a rental car back to Edinburgh. I'm just happy their home and safe and that this particular act didn't strike more directly at our families.

On Sarah's website, Sarah's mom equated the current terrorism problem as a disease that world leaders are only striking back with retiatory efforts rather than pausing to do proper research and "hard work" (as Mr. Bush so oft likes to put it) to determine a cure. Launching bogus wars and shock and awe campaigns to root out terrorism will not work. There are issues at play here that make this more than just a "good vs evil" situation. The world and its people and cultures are very complicated and it must be respected as such. I saw a note on a website that on the recent 4th of July holiday we should stand up and declare our interdependence rather that our independence. I couldn't agree more. We need to dialog with everyone the world over and actually listen to the "why's" of terrorism rather than blindly spank the child because it's the only seeminly simple way we know how to punish it.

Nevertheless, we're glad you're OK, Toni and David, and we love you both very much.

Comments (3) | To Top

7/8/2005 @ 11:46am

Glad to hear they're safe!

by Dave

7/8/2005 @ 1:10pm

Talked to Toni this morning and I do believe they are both feeling pretty lucky. Apparently, they flew to Birmingham and were to take the train from there, but then found out that wouldn't happen. At any rate, they are safe as are their friends from London.

by Kathy Freitas

7/11/2005 @ 6:00am

thanks so much for all your concern. it was a bit scary, as we were trying to board a train for london from birmingham airport at 10am when things were still happening and no one knew what was going on. we were told it was a power surge on the underground at that point. we spoke to our friends we were to meet and found out that they okay, but we had no way of getting to them (they live in greenwich, outside london). it was really scary to think about the what ifs, and i'm still not sure i'm over the shock of seeing the first images while we were stranded in the airport/train station realising that in a few hours we would have been at one of the terrorised stations. driving 300 miles was not on our list of activities, but it was the cheapest way to get home. so 12 hours from when we left (and 600 roundtrip miles later) we found ourselves in G8 ridden Edinburgh. we came to Scotland to get away from GW, not to have him show up in our back garden!

so no vacation for us this week, but it is nothing in light of what people in London suffered. much love to you all!

by Toni