TOTALLY GEEKED!

ed11563 · Guru

Our times of terror

Fort Worth Mom · Mod/Penguin lover/Princess!

ed11563 wrote:

http://www.newsday.com/opinion/columnists/michael-dobie/our-times-of-terror-1.11122321 Reprints
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Our times of terror
November 13, 2015 By MICHAEL DOBIE
People attend a vigil outside the French consulate in Montreal, Friday, Nov. 13, 2015. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered "all of Canada's support" to France on Friday night in the wake of "deeply worrying" terrorist attacks in Paris that killed at least 120 people. (Credit: AP/ Graham Hughes)
Once again, terrorism has become the face of our times.

And once again, we are riveted before television screens, watching the carnage unfold as we sit in what we hope and pray is the safety of our own homes and offices.

The attacks in Paris are stunning for their size and scope and synchronized nature. Dozens are dead, and we dread to learn the final toll. And the violence comes only 10 months after the massacre at the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, and in close proximity with suicide bombings in Beirut and Baghdad that killed dozens more.

It’s unbearably heartbreaking to listen to reports that hostages inside a concert hall where an American hard rock band had been playing are using social media to beg police to storm the hall to stop the executions that apparently are taking place.

It’s chilling to think this happened on a Friday night, to people doing things that all of us do on Friday nights — eating in restaurants, going to concerts, cheering at athletic contests. Things that are supposed to be safe. Things that are supposed to be diversions. Things that once attacked make everyone uneasy.

And it’s shocking to hear that France — France, our oldest ally, the bastion of liberté, egalité and fraternité — has taken the unprecedented step of closing its borders, reeling from events it has not had time to process.

For those of us who lived through the attacks on 9/11, the ongoing horror in Paris reminds us that terrorism has reshaped our world. We’re reminded again of what it feels like when security is replaced by fear, when trust gives way to suspicion, when safety is undermined by doubt. And we need to make sure we don’t let this lead to despair and desperation.

President Barack Obama was right when he said this is an attack on all of humanity, and that we all must stand against it together.

But right now, it’s a scary and helpless feeling. Again.

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ed, to the first bolded.

My Dad served in the Army, in WWII. First in Washington, DC, as part of our east coast defense. Then, in France.

As soon as we beat the Axis, and won the war, the French couldn't post signs saying, "Yankee, GO HOME", fast enough.

I would never visit there, given the treatment our troops were given, back in WWII. cry

As to the second bolded.

Our president won't even defend our own borders.

He won't take any action, to protect us.

Our President talks a good story. And does nothing.

cry

ed11563 · Guru

Fort Worth Mom wrote:
ed11563 wrote:

http://www.newsday.com/opinion/columnists/michael-dobie/our-times-of-terror-1.11122321 Reprints
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, use the Reprints tool at the top of any article or order a reprint of this article now.
Our times of terror
November 13, 2015 By MICHAEL DOBIE
People attend a vigil outside the French consulate in Montreal, Friday, Nov. 13, 2015. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered "all of Canada's support" to France on Friday night in the wake of "deeply worrying" terrorist attacks in Paris that killed at least 120 people. (Credit: AP/ Graham Hughes)
Once again, terrorism has become the face of our times.

And once again, we are riveted before television screens, watching the carnage unfold as we sit in what we hope and pray is the safety of our own homes and offices.

The attacks in Paris are stunning for their size and scope and synchronized nature. Dozens are dead, and we dread to learn the final toll. And the violence comes only 10 months after the massacre at the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, and in close proximity with suicide bombings in Beirut and Baghdad that killed dozens more.

It’s unbearably heartbreaking to listen to reports that hostages inside a concert hall where an American hard rock band had been playing are using social media to beg police to storm the hall to stop the executions that apparently are taking place.

It’s chilling to think this happened on a Friday night, to people doing things that all of us do on Friday nights — eating in restaurants, going to concerts, cheering at athletic contests. Things that are supposed to be safe. Things that are supposed to be diversions. Things that once attacked make everyone uneasy.

And it’s shocking to hear that France — France, our oldest ally, the bastion of liberté, egalité and fraternité — has taken the unprecedented step of closing its borders, reeling from events it has not had time to process.

For those of us who lived through the attacks on 9/11, the ongoing horror in Paris reminds us that terrorism has reshaped our world. We’re reminded again of what it feels like when security is replaced by fear, when trust gives way to suspicion, when safety is undermined by doubt. And we need to make sure we don’t let this lead to despair and desperation.

President Barack Obama was right when he said this is an attack on all of humanity, and that we all must stand against it together.

But right now, it’s a scary and helpless feeling. Again.

< back to article

ed, to the first bolded.
My Dad served in the Army, in WWII. First in Washington, DC, as part of our east coast defense. Then, in France.
As soon as we beat the Axis, and won the war, the French couldn't post signs saying, "Yankee, GO HOME", fast enough.
I would never visit there, given the treatment our troops were given, back in WWII.
As to the second bolded.
Our president won't even defend our own borders.
He won't take any action, to protect us.
Our President talks a good story. And does nothing.

DS and DIL took a Mediterranean cruise for their honeymoon, and spent a little time in Italy and France,

They loved Italy and the Italian people, who were wonderful.

They were treated like cr@p in France. The French people hate Americans, other Europeans, and ...

especially ...

other French people.

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

The French hate people they don't know. It has nothing to do with their country of origin. I have several French friends who are perfectly lovely and would do anything for any of my family. But they do NOT like "strangers". If they don't personally know you and have a connection, they want nothing to do with you.

Fort Worth Mom · Mod/Penguin lover/Princess!

Mellow Momma wrote:
The French hate people they don't know. It has nothing to do with their country of origin. I have several French friends who are perfectly lovely and would do anything for any of my family. But they do NOT like "strangers". If they don't personally know you and have a connection, they want nothing to do with you.

Well, the French liked the Americans well enough, until we won the war.

Then, they just wanted us gone. As quickly as possible.

I wouldn't consider them a friend, or an ally, on a bet.

What a bunch of high brow cowards.

(For the most part. There were some French folks, who actually helped the cause, during WWII)

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

And most of the folks of whom you speak are long dead. That was 70 years ago.

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

Using your logic no one should go to Germany because that's where Hitler was from.

Fort Worth Mom · Mod/Penguin lover/Princess!

Mellow Momma wrote:
And most of the folks of whom you speak are long dead. That was 70 years ago.

And, nothing much has changed, in France.

They are still too cowardly, to stand up, and fight.

They will wait for the US, and our allies, to defend them.

(Against a problem, they created, by letting anyone in to their country.)

I know what to do_sometimes · Frozen Sucks!

Fort Worth Mom wrote:
Mellow Momma wrote:
And most of the folks of whom you speak are long dead. That was 70 years ago.
And, nothing much has changed, in France.
They are still too cowardly, to stand up, and fight.
They will wait for the US, and our allies, to defend them.
(Against a problem, they created, by letting anyone in to their country.)

FWM, you are so right. The US is so the beast with the French until they need our help, which seems to happen more and more these days. I still feel for those people though.

I know what to do_sometimes · Frozen Sucks!

These shootings don't happen in other countries.jpg

Just because I can't get enough of this irony.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

flan327 · Itty bitty's Grammy

Yeah, Putin is an upstanding guy...

flan

flan327 · Itty bitty's Grammy

Mellow Momma wrote:
The French hate people they don't know. It has nothing to do with their country of origin. I have several French friends who are perfectly lovely and would do anything for any of my family. But they do NOT like "strangers". If they don't personally know you and have a connection, they want nothing to do with you.

I had not heard that before. Thanks.

flan

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

flan327 wrote:
Yeah, Putin is an upstanding guy...

flan

At least he's a leader. At times like this - people like him are needed more than mamby-pamby Obama.

Being a joker, trying to be charming and likeable is really NOT an important trait of the president. And in Obama's case, it makes him appear weak, and by extension, it makes US look weak.