London Attacks: Fight or Flight?

If you travelled to the far flung corners of the world you would be hard pushed to find someone who has never heard of London or doesn’t know someone who is living in London. You only have to look at the many different nationalities that make up the victims off the last two attacks on the capital.

This is why London with its world known symbolic targets, is so attractive to anyone wishing to grab a global headline. Indeed attacks in London are nothing new if you where to go back to the Greenwich observatory bomb 1894 and proceeded forward from there you will find attacks have been periodical.

In the past they were carried out with a callous indifference to make a point or demand and victims were no more than a by-product caught up in the wrong place wrong time, a mere happen-stance – and that hasn’t changed but what has changed is the level off personal violence and the seemingly loathing off innocent victims, who are not just viewed as collateral damage, but the sole focus and intended target of the savagery off those involved.

Most worrying of all these attacks seemed to be carried out on a terror franchise basis, where the call from afar is answered where the promise and reward off instant absolution and a fast tracking to paradise this should help explain the spare of the moment attack with a bread knife, through to carefully planned devastating bombings. Also, why the motives are somewhat scattered and diffused, the only cohesion being Allah is mentioned in the last utterances of the attacker.

These attacks are a global phenomenon that don’t appear to be stopping any time soon. London is a prestigious target like it or not – your in the final and its a home fixture, and adjustments to changes this brings are going to have to be made, not just the physical changes that will make the city more secure – the individual will have to increase their capacity for the additional stress the inevitable vigilance will bring. You will be surprised how quickly you learn.

You already know now if you see a suicide vest for more than a split second it has malfunctioned or more likely is a bluff! It is reported that there is currently 3000 people of interest, to watch that number of people around the clock would probably take man power of 30,000 – that last sentence should be enough to make you get educated quick, and I am not talking about the Greek classics in street parlance – your going to have to get a bit wider more Del -boy Trotter about what’s going on around you.

“Run, Hide, Tell…” –  that advice wouldn’t need to be outlined twice to Arthur Daily. The word run would have been like a starting pistol to him and produced a keen pair off brogue heels and a flash off camel hair, but what if you can’t run? and even if you can, there is still going to be casualties…

You don’t have to be brave to fight for your life, actually the more terrified you are, the more strength and energy you should have – and forget everything you ever heard about not taking things personal, there is nothing more personal than someone trying to end your existence with a knife. You are now your own first responder in these circumstances, don’t be having it! If you put up a struggle you have a better chance of survival, and a better chance off someone else joining you in your struggle.

And that is exactly what many people done on Saturday night – they took this stance for themselves and on behalf of others they weren’t having it: using chairs, glasses, bottles, noise and even a skateboard they disrupted the attackers – and their not having it saved lives and if not for their actions the fatalities could have been in double figures by at least the same amount that didn’t make it. This needs fully acknowledged and commended – there is nothing for anyone to be afraid of how we act when faced with a flight-or-fight life threatening situation, we will still pay our taxes after it.

And to the victims off the Manchester bombing which was an attack on a school run (without a school involved) and the London attacks, I trust the injured, traumatised and bereaved get the support they are entitled to on their journey back to health.
I hate to say it but we are again due for a lone lunatic turning up at a bus stop, for they never seem to attack construction workers on building sites to carry out jihad? If you do intend to remain at the scene instead off filming them, on your phone, you could try throwing it at them at the very least you will have won by denying them the oxygen off publicity and spare the rest of us having to listen to a nonentity’s last rant.

getting through the SHIL