Report of 2 Dec '08
And before we know it, it's December -
We are well and safe. Thank you for the kind enquiries about our safety, after the horrific attacks in Mumbai (now called India's 9/11). We are safe in Chennai, though as you can imagine, security is heightened. It was easy to be removed from the attacks, especially as we do not have a functional TV, but Susan (my sister-in-law) told me last night that a fellow parishioner had lost his brother in the attacks. Mr. Banja was executive chef at the Taj, the terrorists told them to make sandwiches, they did, then they were lined up at the wall and shot. To a person, eyewitnesses mention the terrorists as being very young - almost young boys. The family and I discussed how easy it was for young people to be swayed by impassioned speeches, especially by clerics.
Chennai reeled under heavy rains last week, for 3 days straight. Schools were closed and I could not get to work. In fact, our Choolaimedu office still has water inside, and the street it's on has about thigh-deep water - mixed with sewage. That is the lot of many neighborhoods here. We needed the rain, but not this constantly. A lot of people lost their homes or possessions, but the city is recovering.
What can one say about taking lives? Nothing. Are we the only species to do this? Probably not. We (Indians) were ill-equipped to resist. Israel, which lost a few citizens in the attack, is here, likely to teach India a few lessons.
The only thing Scott and I can do is put 2 beings on earth who would never be moved to kill another - impassioned speeches or not. I hope that they'd have the good sense to sift wisdom from rhetoric, and would be more inclined to help than hurt.
Unw -
R
We are well and safe. Thank you for the kind enquiries about our safety, after the horrific attacks in Mumbai (now called India's 9/11). We are safe in Chennai, though as you can imagine, security is heightened. It was easy to be removed from the attacks, especially as we do not have a functional TV, but Susan (my sister-in-law) told me last night that a fellow parishioner had lost his brother in the attacks. Mr. Banja was executive chef at the Taj, the terrorists told them to make sandwiches, they did, then they were lined up at the wall and shot. To a person, eyewitnesses mention the terrorists as being very young - almost young boys. The family and I discussed how easy it was for young people to be swayed by impassioned speeches, especially by clerics.
Chennai reeled under heavy rains last week, for 3 days straight. Schools were closed and I could not get to work. In fact, our Choolaimedu office still has water inside, and the street it's on has about thigh-deep water - mixed with sewage. That is the lot of many neighborhoods here. We needed the rain, but not this constantly. A lot of people lost their homes or possessions, but the city is recovering.
What can one say about taking lives? Nothing. Are we the only species to do this? Probably not. We (Indians) were ill-equipped to resist. Israel, which lost a few citizens in the attack, is here, likely to teach India a few lessons.
The only thing Scott and I can do is put 2 beings on earth who would never be moved to kill another - impassioned speeches or not. I hope that they'd have the good sense to sift wisdom from rhetoric, and would be more inclined to help than hurt.
Unw -
R
posted by Renu Weiss at
9:13 PM
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