How terror threats have changed my outlook on life.

[jean2579]

During the period of the Martin Place siege at the Lindt cafe, my son, DIL and infant granddaughter were in lock up in seperate buildings for many hours.
I was terrified until I found out that they were safe.
Last week they were again locked down when another siege threat was made in Phillip Street.
This time I was merely concerned, not terrified.
When and how did the unthinkable in this country become the acceptable.
That in itself is terrifying.

[azureline**]

I am... and have been, for quite some time, more concerned about the likliehood of a nuclear threat than I am about terrorism.......

[the_great_she_elephant]

What many of you miss is that the world will never go back to pre 9/11.

The only extraordinary thing about 9/11 was that it happened in America. My family survived the London blitz and acts of terror don't come much  greater than that.

[raptor_rebooted]

you're probably right.

i dont see the world going back to pre 9/11

anytime soon.  its had an impact on how we live;

the way we travel, communicate etc.  

i keep thinking about isis destroying 6000 years old

artifacts.  they are trying to rewrite history 

[cherry*135]

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@jean2579 wrote:
Am. I was not referring to any particular group, but rather how I found myself reacting to two recent personal situations.
I now find myself texting my DIL frequently checking on everyone's safety.
I know that I am driving the poor woman spare.
I never before the Martin Place matter even considered such thing was possible, and I must admit that I never thought of the Martin Bryant matter as a terrorist threat.
Such things did not happen in Australia.
I don't recognise my own country anymore.
Perhaps it is simply ageing.

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Yes, Jean I did realise that.

I have one family member working in Martin Place and another one starting work in same area soon, so I know what you mean. Especially as you also have a small grandchild in Syd CBD at childcare.  

[cherry*135]

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@opmania wrote:

 Are you going to play that card again

In Defense of every terrorist plot

Martin John Bryant

Getting a bit stale don't you think

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No, it is very relevant, when discussing being 'safe' in Australia. That is what we would all like to be for ourselves and our children - safe. Doesn't work out like that though, no matter where you are located.

[gleee58]

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@*julia*2010 wrote:

you're probably right.

i dont see the world going back to pre 9/11

anytime soon.  its had an impact on how we live;

the way we travel, communicate etc.  

i keep thinking about isis destroying 6000 years old

artifacts.  they are trying to rewrite history 

---

They are on a mission to destroy but don't seem to have thought it through, beyond the trail of destruction.

[the_great_she_elephant]

---

@*julia*2010 wrote:

you're probably right.

i dont see the world going back to pre 9/11

anytime soon.  its had an impact on how we live;

the way we travel, communicate etc.  

i keep thinking about isis destroying 6000 years old

artifacts.  they are trying to rewrite history 

---

It's a criminal piece of vandalism. But sadly the more things change, the more they stay the same.The wanton destruction of religious art is nothing new.

No one can be sure of the exact figure, but it is estimated that the destruction started and legalised by(Thomas)  Cromwell amounted to 97% of the English art then in existence. Statues were hacked down. Frescoes were smashed to bits. Mosaics were pulverized. Illuminated manuscripts were shredded. Wooden carvings were burned. Precious metalwork was melted down. Shrines were reduced to rubble. This vandalism went way beyond a religious reform. It was a frenzy, obliterating the artistic patrimony of centuries of indigenous craftsmanship with an intensity of hatred for imagery and depicting the divine that has strong and resonant parallels today.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/11361080/Thomas-Cromwell-was-the-Islamic-State-of-...

Monastery destroyed after translation slip by British intelligence officer

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/apr/04/johnezard

[cherry*135]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

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@opmania wrote:

 Are you going to play that card again

In Defense of every terrorist plot

Martin John Bryant

Getting a bit stale don't you think

---

I should point out that the lockdowns in the city rarely have anything to do with Islamic Extremists. The Martin Place seige was a one off.

These men are usually disgruntled men who have taken issue with something in their lives and want the politicians to know about it. The last time I was there in lockdown it was because some man wanted custody laws changed.

Or, like Martin Bryant (and the Martin Place gunman, they are mentally ill.

The Martin Bryant story should never become stale in our history.

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I know you are speaking from experience there.

I remember reading about a person from my area who sparked a siege in Sydney ( said he had a bomb in his car, a two hour standoff with riot police) outside NSW Parliament. He is a former disgruntled taxi driver - his issue a $200 fine he received 15 years ago. He had been seeing a psychiatrist for more than 10 years before that incident too.

[cherry*135]

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@idlewhile wrote:

What many of you miss is that the world will never go back to pre 9/11.

We are in the midst of an Islamic uprising the likes of which we have never seen before. It will end up in a war that will engulf  the Middle East and could precipitate a nuclear incident.

The nit picking of the many on here trying to keep their heads wedged firmly in the sand because we have "only" experienced a couple of "minor" terrorists events and making comparisons to excuse those attacks is alarming to read.

The mealy mouthed criticism of the PM who is in the midst of  doing everything a good and responsible PM should be doing at a time like this is sickening.

What is he supposed to do? hide under the bed, don't "offend" anyone and hope that it will all go away.

We are not privy to any information he may be getting, we are not privy to anything at all but we are privy to the sensible warnings he gives to radicalized Muslims not to go and join ISIS because as we can see they are the one's being used for "cannon fodder".

They are the one's ISIS are using as suicide bombers and they are the one's beheaded   if they find that it's not all that exciting and want to come home.

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How has my life changed since then? Not at all, really. I got on an international flight, not long after that happened. People asked me how I could do that.

Increased security at airports - I can live with that. Increased security in the US for tourist attractions, places a terrorist may strike, I appreciate why that is necessary.

Tony Abbott and his 'death cult' statements - all designed to stir up a certain part of society (as evidenced here) and to get their votes.

[cherry*135]

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@*julia*2010 wrote:

There have always been terrorist attacks; IRA not so long ago, 

not to the extent we have today.

who were IRA's targets?

I do not recall them being turned into anti catholic campaigns. 

you are joking

In Australia - did we start a fear campaign about Catholics? Brand them all as potentital terrorists?

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They murdered (shot) innocent people standing in fish and chip shops waiting to buy their dinner!

I travelled to Ireland about that time. We weren't allow in to travel to Nthern Ireland.  The IRA came down south to rob banks, and we would encounter road blocks on our trip, because of this.

Also, same trip a terrorist bomb went off in Munich (13 died, 211 injured) about 3 days before I walked in the same spot.