Unfathomable Evil #ManchesterAttack

I suspect much like the rest of the population I have been left trying to fathom out why such evil manifests itself amongst us. The conclusion of course is that evil knows no logic and therefore we will never ever be able to make sense of it.

Yet we will still wrestle with the thoughts of 'what if' or more tragically 'why us' when we consider the unimaginable horror of the events in Manchester yesterday evening, the 22nd May 2017.

We torment ourselves through various guises...

Myself, there has been 'what if that were me?' , or 'what if that were my daughter?'

But we all fulfil various roles in our communities, so for myself as a police officer there has also been, 'what if I had responded to that emergency call?' alongside thoughts for the emergency services family as a whole who did, and have responded to pleas for help and salvation.

My mind is plagued by the atrocity today, as I am sure many others of you are too.

I have found myself considering the many thousands of people who live with war on their doorsteps on a day to day basis and have to face these questions cruelly tormenting us today on an almost on a daily basis.

Inevitably there have been those 'know it all' celebrities bumping their gums about 'how they could do a better job' or 'how we should do ours' and to them all I would say is 'come on down', grab a uniform, put your money where your celebrity mouth is or shut the hell up.

As to the question of evil... there has always been, and always will be evil.
Evil people who seek to trample the ideals of peace and free will by using death and destruction. Inevitably they do always fail as good triumphs over evil but not before many innocent people lose their lives first. Sometimes it does take an eternity good will prevail.

In the meantime we must hold our heads up high and carry on regardless. This is the British way...

Bullies are the weak and insecure of our societies and no religion I am aware of condones or promotes killing people let alone innocent children.

My 11 year old daughter asked me two questions this morning watching the news unfold before school...

1. Will we still go to our concert at The O2 in London? 

Of course I replied. Concerts, tourist attractions, trains, buses, beaches... the list of terrorist targets is never ending. So do we stop living? Do we cower away at home? Let's face it, the heating boiler could blow up and kill us if it's our time to go. She pondered my answer... So we carry on?

'Yes we carry on'

2. What is a suicide bomber? Somebody who straps a bomb to themselves, detonates it,  killing themselves and those around them. In her innocence she answered for us all...

'What's the point in that?'

To the families bereft, grieving, searching for loved ones...my heart goes out to you, may you and your loved ones find peace.

To my colleagues in the emergency services, thank you, stay safe and please look after your #mentalhealth such incidents will unquestionably take their toll.

To the evil out there seeking to subdue us...whomsoever we are, whatever colour our skin is, whichever Gods we worship, we stand together against you.

We are united in grief. We are united in our resolution. We will carry on regardless.

You will not win and we will not be subdued