On the evening of the 22nd of May, a senseless and brutal attack on the attendees at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester (UK) claimed the lives of at least 22 people and injured many more.
The exact details of the attack are still unknown, and I believe it is not my place to theorize upon the exact motives of an obviously sick and demented individual (or individuals). However, it is important to highlight simple acts of heroism that often stem from such crisis, if only to remind the world of the essential goodness of people. It is important to remember there will always be helpers.
H/T: Somecards/BoredPanda
Helpers like 48-year-old Paula Robinson, who managed to corral around 50 (almost entirely young) victims in the moments after the attack and guide them to a local hotel. There she kept them safe and let parents know that their children were safe.
Or the many, many people who offered people stranded in Manchester a place to feel safe or even a room for the night. All answering the call to decency and fraternity.
The taxi drivers offering free rides home, even in some cases to neighbouring cities. All common heroes, simply displaying fealty to the ideal of shared dignity.
Manchester will recover from this. The British spirit is not so easily bowed, the welcome allies of hope and community will prosper, and there is no setback that cannot be endured.
After all, A greatness of a nation lies not in the stone of its parliament or the might of its guns, but in the hearts of its people. And the British people have displayed a common affection that no act of terrorism will break.
I’ll leave the final words to a resident of Manchester, who puts it best:
“We in this city have not reacted to this terror attack with vitriol; or with fear. We have not even reacted in open defiance (yet). Our first reaction has been to take to the streets with water, with supplies, to open our homes to those who are stranded and also, sadly, to guide the families who have lost their children through to the centre of a city they don’t know. If you do choose to write about us, please know that [we] reacted with kindness, empathy, and love. Not with hate.”
