Terrorism..

How is it right that the actions of the minority leave the rest of us fearful of our own safety in our own homes and our own towns?

I have to admit that despite the recent arrests in the North-West I hadn't really considered myself or my friends or family to be at any significant risk of falling prey to acts of terrorism. However this morning I read a newspaper article that made me reconsider and really brought the events of the last few days home.

The fact is, that one of the areas that was photographed by the alleged terrorism suspects is yards from where I often work. If a bomb had been planted in that area the shop would almost certainly have been blown up killing everybody inside.

I'm extremely thankful that the plot was uncovered, and it didn't come as a complete surprise. Myself and my family have been speculating for the last few weeks that a huge plot was about to be uncovered and had even narrowed the area down to the Trafford Centre or Manchester city centre. This was due to the emergence of posters and television adverts warning us to report any suspicious people photographing shopping centres.

Now that I'm over the initial shock however, I find myself frustrated with the position that we are in. I feel completely powerless to protect myself or the people that I love from the ignorant acts of the minority and that scares me.

I feel proud of the city that I live in and have a huge respect for the way that it has recovered from the IRA bomb. What I want, and feel that I have a right to claim is the right to enjoy it without fear or intimidation.