D-Day 6th June 1944

After knocking out 3 photo albums (Provence, Paris, UK & Brunei - viewable on my Travel blog), it occurred to me this morning that it is way past time for a Blog post!  I have been neglectful but then, nothing has inspired me.  Not a lot of worth in pondering, deliberating, chewing over and thinking about nothing, although plenty do!

I wasn't inspired, until today that is!  On the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, the focus of the world is on the beaches of Normandy.  As I browsed the news, I surprised even myself, I cried.  I cried for D-Day, I cried for the many who lost their lives, I cried for those who lost their mobility and I cried for those who lost family, mates and neighbours.   I cried for those who lost their faith in mankind because it is their very act which reminds us we must never lose our faith in mankind.  I cried because I felt humbled that so many risked their lives for liberty on that day, 70 years ago.

I wonder if they would think it worth it today?  I hope so.

Veterans, re-enactments, world leaders speeches, fireworks, ceremony and many tears, all marking the 70th anniversary of a pivotal mission, the beginning of the end of 6 years of wretchedness in Europe, and an event that was, in the words of Winston Churchill - "undoubtedly the most complicated and difficult that has ever taken place", a mission involving 3 million troops and costing 250,000 lives.  Many nations coming together with a common goal, we could learn from them today.

Most people of my generation cannot begin to imagine the horror and fear that comes with such a war.  Yes, today, we hear talk of terrorists, likely exaggerated and of course there is the occasional bomb blast and events in the Middle East, none of which is pleasant but imagine, walking out of your front door every day and not knowing if you will return.  For 6 long year's, not knowing if your house will even be there when you return.   Hell!!!  What about going to bed at night not knowing if you or yours will waken and survive tomorrow and if you do, what nightmare will it bring?  The smell of fire, the noise of the air-raid warnings, the bombs, the destruction and the stench of death.  Then the elation of victory, followed by the horror and the discovery of the death camps.  The recovery and rebuilding, reconciliation and forgiveness.

As France played host, I dried my tears and smiled at pictures of lunch and "The Top Table"!  Centre stage Francois Hollande, France's President, surrounded by Queen Elizabeth and Presidents Obama and Putin!  Who'd want to work out that seating plan!  Fortunately Queen Margrethe of Denmark, a very gracious and elegant lady helped even up the numbers and made boy-girl-boy-girl-boy look like the plan all along!

Pictures in the Huffington Post were haunting, images from today overlaying those of yesterday!
 
The stories from the veterans, especially those who took the opportunity to sneak out of their care homes to attend makes for another tear followed by a smile ...

Inspirational!

Eversley Street, Liverpool - my Mum is in the midst of the crowd here somewhere!  Just 2 years old.

Note: I hope the creator of the D-Day image doesn't mind my borrowing it, I could find no accreditation.

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In the news this week?

I hardly know where to start!   The news this week has been huge...

.... opening with the Boston Marathon bombings, followed by an explosion at a fertilizer plant in Texas and the loss of lives, leading into a tremendous display of pomp and ceremony with Baroness Margaret Thatcher's funeral, which I am happy to say was relatively free of protestors and the Queen looking so well.  Shocking revelations in the press about Rolf Harris, I so hope he isn't guilty, a childhood illusion shattered.  A 5 year old little girl held in a wicked and brutal attack in New Delhi, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in China too many dead .... 20 Kremlin critics arrested in Russia, a return to the bad old days perhaps?  .... and finally closing with the celebrations when one of the Boston bombers is killed and the other captured but seriously injured in hospital!

..... And the good news?  The Queen looking fabulous and relaxed, celebrating her horse winning at Newbury and not just good but great news, they passed the gay marriage bill in New Zealand by 77 votes to 44!  Go the Kiwi's, you have my admiration and its great to see you leading the pack in the region with modern thinking and showing, unlike so many, you don't suffer from narrow minded bigotry!  

My favourite video clip of the week goes to Maurice Williamson and his speech in New Zealand Parliament ..... well said Maurice!  Love it!

Boston Marathon bombings

photo credit: Werner Kunz via photopin cc

Boston, Massachusetts!  Such a beautiful city, by reputation a highly desirable place to live and its high cost of living doesn't seem to have deterred its 7.6 million inhabitants.  Situated across the river from Cambridge home to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the world famous Harvard, the city this week was marred by a despicable act of terrorism.

Trial by media is a dangerous precedent but all the indications are that two young men, originally from Chechnya chose a despicable path.  The Boston Marathon bombings on Monday were shocking and the motivation still a mystery.  By all accounts, the Tsarnaev brothers were welcomed by America, given scholarships, a home, good education but most importantly a safe shelter away from war torn Chechnya in the 1990's.   The older brother has a history of violence, arrested in 2009 for domestic assault and battery and the media has hinted about him mysteriously spending 6 months in Russia last year and "nobody knows why".  Thereby saying much without saying anything at all and now Russia is guilty by implication too!  Wars and hatred are so easily fed!

photo credit: hahatango via photopin cc

Why perpetrate such a heinous crime? We may never know, there may never be a trial and we may have no choice but to trust the FBI and the media when they tell us these two men are truly guilty and that they have no co-conspirators.  Has it been proven conclusively?  No, but the facts as presented certainly appear to point in that direction.

By the end of the week, one lies in a morgue, first shot by the police, but allegedly dead as a result of being run over by his younger brother.  The second, captured but with a serious throat injury leaving him unable to talk.  Convenient perhaps?

And so to the victims, three dead from the bombings and a young MIT police officer gunned down in a shoot out on Friday.  So many horrifically injured and so many lives ruined.  Jeff Bauman is clearly a hero, a man who lost both of his legs below the knee and yet found time to help the FBI identify at least one of the suspects.  His son too has lost both of his legs in the bombing.  How do you recover from this?  I was disgusted and appalled to see that he will be left to meet his own medical expenses.  WHAT THE?????  Amidst the physical and mental trauma, Jeff and the other 14 victims who lost limbs, are expected to fund their own medical expenses, inevitably hundreds of thousands of dollars each.

The 176 people injured as a result of this terrible crime should not have to face the added stress of finding money for medical treatment.  Surely a country that can spend trillions of dollars on war can find the money to treat these innocent victims!  Will Dzhokar Tsarnaev also have to fund his own medical treatment or will he and his family receive compensation for loss of life at the hands of the FBI?

America, for a country that has so much, surely it is time to reassess some of your values? 

.... and so to next week... no doubt the blame game will commence... it already has.... which Muslim cleric influenced these men?  Which anti-terrorist organisation failed to monitor their email or internet activity?  Why did they let him go when they arrested him in 2011 (after Russia allegedly asked for him to be investigated).  Outside of influence and failure to prevent their actions, if guilty, they made the choice.  They decided to take this action, nobody did it for them.

So now the authorities have yet more reason to curb freedom of the innocent, all in the name of anti-terrorism.......