Don't get mad, do something good

I had a terrible night’s sleep on Monday night. I’m not quite sure why but I ended up tossing and turning in the early hours and was eventually awoken by an unreasonable shaft of light that had found its way through our bedroom’s blackout curtains. This could have meant that it was any time between 4:30 and my usual 7:00 alarm call given the punitive nature of Scottish Summer Time. I picked up my watch to see what time it was only to discover than it was showing 12:20  (even in May, Scottish Summers aren’t that bad) and assumed a flat battery. I put on the TV to see what time the BBC News was showing only to discover the horror of the aftermath of the MEN Arena bombing in Manchester.

Horror soon turns to anger as it became clear that many of the dead and injured were children, including one that was even younger than my own daughter. Aside from the anger the initial reaction for many to such events is to do something. The question is what? Above all else with horrific events like this, it is the sense of helplessness that really rankles with people. Many would like to wring the neck of the perpetrator but given that he was sprayed around the foyer of the MEN that would have had little effect. Unfortunately, the usual suspects (Katy Hopkins, Nigel Farage et al.) were only too ready to spew out their usual tirades of hate and bile. This does nothing other than to let the bombers achieve their main goals of spreading hate and division.

I can really sympathise with anyone who is outraged at such things and can understand why they may turn their ire against minority groups who they see as being responsible. It is understandable but it is also wrong: extremist, jihadist movements only see the world in terms of framing everyone in terms of jihadists vs crusaders and the vast majority of people, regardless of faith or lack of it, do not want to be part of such a medieval concept. Most people actually care for their communities and want to help which we saw this week as Mancunians of all backgrounds, creeds and colours rallied around to help each other. In terms of what the bombers may have hoped to achieve this is almost certainly the exact opposite response that they may have wished for. Apart from anything else, doing something positive and helpful is quite possibly the most therapeutic thing to do.

The question is, though, exactly how can someone help? In such a situation the emergency services need to be given space to get on with their jobs unhindered and whilst the actions of Taxi drivers who provided free journeys to those stranded are commendable, only so many people can do that. However, there are things that can be done and after seeing an appeal on the Manchester Evening News’s website for funds to help the families affected I clicked on the link to see that they had raised just under £4,000 in that short time. I added 1% to that amount and at least felt that I had done something. The total currently raised is now over £1.6million with tens of thousands chipping in.

I did see a fake request that Manchester hospitals urgently needed blood donations. This was untrue as the blood donation service will have to screen and type blood before it can be used in an emergency and they do keep stocks of this for just such incidents. However, donating blood is a very worthwhile thing to do and the blood transfusion services are constantly looking for new and regular donors and if the Manchester Arena tragedy can spur people into action it is no bad thing regardless of whether they are in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

I suppose that many people would still like to poke the jihadist in the eye for what they have done. I think the key thing here is not to blame ordinary Muslims for such actions. They are as appalled and terrified as any other people and in the Middle East they have suffered more than most at the hands of ISIS and other such psychopaths. I was reminded of this when I went down to get some sandwiches from our local corner shop. The shopkeeper has a collecting jar for the Red Cross which I often drop loose change in. The appeal is specifically for the Syrian crisis and helps those who have had to flee their homes and also find refuge in neighbouring countries such as Lebanon and Jordan. As well as the Red Cross, UNICEF and UNHCR amongst many other charity organisations are helping to tackle the humanitarian crisis created by the likes of ISIS. What better way to get back at ISIS than to show them that we will come to the aid of ordinary Muslim folk?

So, aside from the usual right-wing gobshites and their appalling newspapers, I can really understand why ordinary people can get angry and say intemperate things after outrages such as Manchester. I don’t blame them for feeling that way they but the key is not to get mad about it – do something good instead.