Tuesday, December 9, 2008

A FIRST HAND ACCOUNT of MUMBAI'S TERROR.......RIVETING


This is an actual email from Jonathan Ehrlich, who barely survived the massacre:


From: Jonathan
Sent: Thu Nov 27 02:26:51 2008

Subject: Hey! From a Mumbai massacre survivor.

Hey guys.

Got all your notes. Thank you. I'm ok. A little shaky to be honest,
but really just happy to be here. I can't thank you enough for your
notes. You have no idea what they mean to me. Hope to see and speak
to you all soon.


I wrote the following on the plane:

It's 3.33 am Thursday Nov 27th. And I am writing this from Jet
Airways flight 0227, First leg of the Mumbai - Brussels - Toronto -
Vancouver journey. It is a stream of "adrenaline" piece. I
apologize in advance for the grammatical errors. But I wanted it
raw and unedited.


First, some context.
I have always been truly blessed. Lucky to be born to the most love
a child could ever wish for. Lucky to be born into a family that
prided itself on teaching me how to be a man. Lucky to have been
protected and sheltered by three strong, decent brothers. Lucky to
have found and married the kindest heart on the face of the earth.
Lucky to be blessed beyond blessed with four healthy, beautiful
children. Lucky to have wonderful friends who tolerate my
idiosyncrasies.


Tonight, these blessings, these gifts of love and life bestowed
upon me, this incredible good fortune, saved my life. And I
honestly don't know why.

The details.

I am in Mumbai on business. I'm staying at the Trident hotel. It's
sister hotel, the Oberoi, is right next-door and attached by a
small walkway.

I had dinner by myself in the Oberoi lobby after some late meetings.

I retired upstairs to my room. About 10 mins later my colleague,
Alex Chamerlin, text-ed asking me to join him and his friend in the
Oberoi lounge for a drink. I started to make my way out the door
but decided
that I was really too tired. I had a 7am flight, and needed to be
up at 5. Rest beckoned. I closed the light, got into bed and
quickly fell asleep. Lucky life-saving decision number 1.

About 1hr later there was knock at my door. A few seconds later,
the doorbell rang (they have doorbells for hotel rooms here -
who'da thunk?). I thought - who the hell is knocking at my door?
Turn down service? This late? Forget it. So I just lay there and
hoped they would go away. Lucky life-saving decision number 2.

Five minutes later I heard and felt a huge bang. I got up and went
to look out the window. A huge cloud of grey smoke billowed up from
the road below. I thought. Fireworks? I didn't see anyone milling
about so knew something wasn't right. I started to walk to the
light switch when - BANG - another huge explosion shook the entire
hotel.

Oh ****, I thought. Is that what I think this is? I opened the door
to the hallway. A few people were already outside.

I heard the word "bomb".

Oh shit. Oh shit I thought.

I'd like to tell you that I calmly collected my myself and my
things and proceeded to the exits.

I didn't. An adrenaline explosion erupted inside me and almost
lifted me off the floor. And I began to move. Really move.

I went back inside, quickly packed my stuff and went back into the
hall.

I ran to the emergency exit and started making my way down the
stairs (I was on the 18th floor).

There were a few people in the stairwell. I was flying by them. I
swear I could have run a marathon in 2hrs. I felt like pure energy.

About halfway down, I called my friend Mark, told him what had
happened and asked him to get me a flight - any flight - the hell
out of Mumbai.

I got to the lobby level. There was a crowd of people in the
corridor. No one moving. No one doing anything. No hotel staff. No
security people.

Shit. I thought. We are sitting ducks.

I decided to get out of there. First, into the lobby.

I stepped through the door into the silent lobby. My first sight
was a blood-soaked plastic bag and bloody footsteps leading into
the reception area. I proceeded forward. The windows were shattered
and glass was everywhere. There wasn't a soul around.

Bad decision, I thought. I quickly retreated to the corridor. The
crowd of people had grown.

We've got to get out of here I yelled. Let's go.

I looked around for the emergency exit and started running towards it.

I made my way through the bowels of the hotel and out into a dark
alley. It was empty and silent. I looked to my left and about 100m
away saw a few security guards milling about.

Run they screamed. I began to move toward them.

I reached the main street and was immediately swept up into the
Indian throngs (for those who have been to Mumbai you know what I
mean). People everywhere. But they were all eerily quiet. No one
was talking. No car horns. Nothing.

I started yelling "airport airport".

Some one (a hotel cook I believe) grabbed me and my bag and threw
me in a rusty mini-cab.
As I sped away, I didn't see a single police car nor hear a single
siren. Just the sound of this shit-box car speeding down the
deserted road.

Traffic was stop and go. I made it to the airport in about 1hr,
cleared customs and buried myself in a corner of a packed departure
lounge, called my wife, called my parents and brothers and started
emailing those friends who knew I was in Mumbai.

Sadly, Alex - my colleague who texted me for a drink, and his
friend, were not so lucky. The terrorists stormed into the lobby
bar and killed several people. They took Alex and his friend
hostage and started to march them up to the roof of the hotel.

About half way up, Alex managed to escape (he ducked through an
open door and hid) but his friend was caught. And as I write this,
that poor man is still on the roof of the Oberai.

Alex is safe but as expected, extremely worried about his friend.

I'm telling you right now. If I decided to meet Alex for that drink
tonight I'd either be dead, a hostage on the roof of a building 30
hours away from everyone I love or - if I had the balls of Alex - a
stupid-but-lucky-to-be-alive jerk.

And remember that knock/ring at my door? Well, I subsequently
learned that the first thing the terrorists did was get the names
and room numbers of western guests. They then went to the rooms to
find them. Ehrlich, with an E, room 1820. I'll bet my entire life
savings that they were the knock at my door.

Thank god for jet lag.
Thank god for "cranky tired Jonny" (as many of my friends and
family know so well) that compelled to get into and stay in bed.

Thank god for being on the 18th floor.
Thank god for the kind kind people of Mumbai of helped me tonight.
The wonderfully kind hotel staff. That cook. My cab driver who
constantly said "relaxation" "relaxation" "I help" and who kept me
in the cab when we hit a particularly gnarly traffic jam and i
wanted to get out and walk. And for other people in traffic who,
upon hearing from my own cab driver that I was at the Oberai,
literally risked life and limb to stop traffic to let us get by (as
again, only those who have been to Mumbai can truly appreciate).

Mumbai is a tragically beautiful place. Incredibly sad. But I am
convinced that its inhabitants are definitely children of some
troubled but immensely soulfully god.

I'm sitting on plane (upgraded to first class..see, told you I'm
lucky). Just had the best tasting bowl of corn flakes
I've ever had in my life. Hennessey
coursing through my veins. Concentration starting to loosen and
sleep beginning to creep onto my horizon.

I still feel a bit numb. But mostly I feel like I've just watched a
really really bad movie staring me. Because right now, it all
doesn't feel real.
Maybe a few hours of CNN will knock me into reality. But the truth
is numb is fine with me for a while. If I do end up thinking about
the what if's, I don't really want to do that until I'm much much
closer to home. And I have 30 more hours of travel time to go.

But before I sign off, let me say this.

The people who did this have no souls. They have no hearts. They
are simply the living manifestation of evil and they only know
killing and murder.
We - all of us - need to understand that. Their target tonight was
first and foremost Americans. Why? Because they fear everything
that America stands for. They fear hope and change and freedom and
peace.

Let's make no mistake; they would have shot me and my children
point blank tonight without a moment's hesitation. Most of us sorta
know that, but sometimes we equivocate. We can't equivocate. Not ever.

I know that I want to go back. Lay some flowers. Wrap my arms
around these people. Say thank you. Spend some money on overpriced
hotel gifts and tip well. And generally give the bastards who did
this the big **** you and show them that I am not - I repeat not -
afraid of them.

But first I need to go squeeze my wife. Dry her tears. Then have
her dry mine as I hold my beautiful beautiful babies who will be
(thankfully) oblivious to all of this. Because isn't that what life
is really about?

I appreciate you taking the time to listen.

With much much love.

Jonathan

Jonathan Ehrlich
LIVE CURRENT MEDIA INC.

Thanks, Helene xxxZ

40 comments:

MathewK said...

What a frightening experience.

If only india weren't a giant gun-free zone, he could have had the opportunity to join in with the locals and go after them SOBs.

Instead he like everyone else is forced to flee for their lives at the first sign of evil.

The Merry Widow said...

Agreed, MK!
Praise be to G*D that his decisions were positive ones, and he listened!
G*D bless and MARANATHA!

tmw

elmers brother said...

where's duhkkky and his excuses?

shoprat said...

It's only a matter of time before they start doing it here. Fight them now or fight them later. Unfortunately we are going to have to fight because they will accept nothing short of world domination.

cube said...

It is way too easy to herd a crowd of unarmed people. Here in the US, you never know who's packing heat.

Z said...

Ducky, here's the problem.

Nobody's proven the Blackwater guys did ANYTHING yet but fight back. That's OUR STORY. is that okay with you? ANd, if not, why not? They say they were ambushed....they're there protecting OUR GUYS...that okay? It's Iraqis who're saying differently. What if it's because they were paid by Zawahiri to say that....?? Just wondering. We don't know yet, Mr. Murtha.

You're so pro muslim I'm wondering why you're not applauding our actions in Iraq, Ducky... we did so much for those people, one would have thought.........

Nobody hates muslims, nobody thinks throwing grenades in a school is a good thing. Nobody has to be told "You'd not be happy, either, if it were your child" Do you seriously think Conservatives don't consider those things?

Meanwhile, we've got a Democrat governor trying to sell a senate seat.."I want to make MONEY".

tsk tsk tsk Seems like something even THIS media won't be able to hide and cover-up...which is really saying something considering how they ran defense for THE ONE, isn't it!? Very sad day for America. REALLY huge situation..

Z said...

By the way, Ducky...will you afford the Blackwater guys the same due process that I'm sure you'll insist Gov Blogojovich gets? The same benefit of the doubt you'd afford him?

Anonymous said...

QUESTION: Why would ANYONE in his right mind from the West EVER travel to one of these terrible countries?


NON-MUSLIMS WILL BE ATTACKED AND KILLED WITHOUT WARNING. The Middle East is PARTICULARLY dangerous.

I blame the Americans and Israeli victims for deliberately putting themselves in harm's way by going to BOMBAY (note that spelling, I intend to use till I die) in the first place.

If you don't want to get stung, stay away from bee hives and hornets nests?

~ FreeThinke

Incognito said...

wow... nice to see someone hailing all the Indian heroes who went above and beyond to save westerners..putting their own lives on the line.

elmers brother said...

that's "weight" duhkkky

I was just 'wait'ing for you try and figure out the strategic goals of those radical Islamic murderers who have stated their strategic goals on their website.

duhkkky you were the one with the racist remarks in the last post remember?

Really duhkkky, try to learn.

elmers brother said...

If you don't want to get stung, stay away from bee hives and hornets nests?

Pardon me FT but wouldn't you consider this part of what the terrorists want?

elmers brother said...

hey duhkkky ever heard of due process?

Ducky's here said...

z, I've been quite clear z that they should be subject to due process.

It's the right that thinks they are untouchable for some reason.

Oh and Elmo, what's this insane line about "my excuses"?

Excuses for what? The fact that there is incredible violence on the world scene? Now, I don't have a complete answer but what is it that you think should be done? Just invade some country because we are the big honking U.S?
That insanity has helped form the current problem.

As far as racist remarks, I can't think of any but I'm pretty far from politically correct.

And z, how did you manage to straw man Blow-o-vich into this. Rahm Emmanuel dimed out the little puke and we are glad to see him gone. However, it's clear this will be the subject of conspiracy theories on rabies radio for some time.

CJ said...

What a story. Touching to hear of all the Indians helping him. I wonder if Alex or his friends were killed or let go?

I'm sure I'd react with full-bore adrenaline too (which would probably give me a heart attack but oh well), but these stories usually make me wonder how as a Christian I SHOULD react, and saving my own life shouldn't be top priority. Of course it sounds impossibly idealistic but Jesus' teachings ARE counterintuitive, clearly aimed at overcoming our natural self-protective reactions by His power, as He overcame when He went to the cross for us. We're to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors for instance, forgive our enemies and not call for their death. It's the Spirit-powered Christian response that wins people, not anything we do in the flesh. Better to convert a terrorist even while dying at his hand than escape. Truly. We're to die to self and saving our lives will lose our lives, but losing them for His sake will save them. Jesus' teaching is full of such paradoxes. We're to fear nothing, not those who can take our physical lives but only Him who has power over our eternal lives. "Perfect love casts out fear." We're to put others ahead of ourselves, those who were milling around dazed for instance. If we really lived like this, something impossible to us and possible only by God's own power, Ducky could have nothing to say against us ever.

I know this is all talk coming from me, and the walk would be an adrenaline-powered run same as the writer's unless God gave me an infusion of grace at that moment to obey Him, and I'm truly glad for this man's escape and the story he has to tell, but I can't help at least KNOWING what God would want me to be doing instead. I truly believe that this is the Christian life as God wants us to live it, in His power, and I'm well aware of my own failure to do so. What power the church would have if we learned this life as Jesus teaches it.

CJ said...

Oh, and God of course should get the glory for this man's escape, lest I appear to be denying His hand in the story. But there is a higher way.

Bloviating Zeppelin said...

That is one lucky, LUCKY guy!

Absolutely astounding.

And Blackwater? INNOCENT until PROVEN guilty.

BZ

Rita Loca said...

No where is really safe. We are supposed to allow any and everyone into our country, and when we visit another country it is our won fault that they kill us?
OT, but in a safe country like New Zealand, a 13 year old daughter of fellow missionaries(personal friends) was just kidnapped. Please join me in prayer for Dana Judd!

kevin said...

Good post. I think the personal stories really illustrate the barbarity we are dealing with.

Anonymous said...

If you deliberately walk into a fiery furnace, you WILL get incinerated --- unless of course, your name happens to be either Shadrack, Meshack or Abednego. ;-)

It's one thing to be caught unawares in a web of tragic circumstances not of your making. It's quite another to roam about the world SEARCHING for tragic circumstances.

The latter is called "tempting Fate," and I don't believe any spiritual authority recommends it. "Do not tempt the Lord, thy God."

In my view when it becomes obvious that you are decidedly UNWELCOME in someone ELSE'S vicinity, it would make a lot of sense to GET OUT and STAY AWAY.

If Indians or Pakistanis --- or any OTHER foreign power --- makes it plain they do not WANT to contend with Westerners, we truly have no right to barge into THEIR territory --- even as "tourists."

I repeat: If you don't want to be be stung, STAY AWAY from bee hives and hornet's nests.

Now if you would insist that you have a "duty" to make every effort to CHANGE the NATURE of Bees, Wasps and Hornets by going into their midst and showing them what a good, harmless, possibly helpful fellow you are, then GOOD LUCK! I'm sure you'll need it.

Call me a live coward, if you must, but there's PLENTY of important work that needs to be done right in our own back yards --- and plenty of healthy diversion and entertainment close to home as well.

If you feel the urge to travel in order to "find yourself" --- or, perhaps, ESCAPE from yourself --- please remember, as Dr. Seuss wisely said, "No matter where you go --- THERE YOU ARE!"

And as Dorothy said after her wild and colorful adventures in Oz, "THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME."

CJ, if martyrdom is THRUST upon you, I think it IS incumbent on Christians to ACCEPT it, as Jesus did, and pray for the souls of your tormentors and murderers, but at the same time I feel very strongly that actively SEEKING martyrdom is perverse and ungodly. I do believe that life is meant to be LIVED and ENJOYED --- as long as God will allow. It is after all His Gift to us.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!


~ FreeThinke

Anonymous said...

PS: To put it in a lighter vein:

"He who turns and runs away
Lives to fight another day."

Cheers!

~ FT

Rita Loca said...

FT, I wasn't meaning to attack your comment, just the irony of the reality of this day and age.
I just left Venezuela after 20 years to protect my children.
Sometimes we do put ourselves knowingly in danger for a higher cause. Security anywhere is only an illusion.

Z said...

CJ...I was thinking that it's GOD who keeps us alive or sees us in heaven. HIS will.
If HE is sovereign, then we're alive because of Him.
If we're in a situation like that, perhaps it's up to us to keep alive to help others: Perhaps that helping would witness to someone, so our having survived and helping someone is part of the plan...right?

I think you make excellent points, too......I just think it's up to HIM. As a Christian retired nurse recently said to me "We've had two people with the exact symptoms, treated them the same, one lives, the other dies.." Kind of makes sense to me. It's very comforting, as well, no?

FT...did I miss something or DID CJ actually say she's "seek martyrdom"? I don't think so...just not fight it, I think, was her point.

CJ said...

As Z said, FT, nothing I said implied SEEKING martyrdom. The circumstances in Bombay (I prefer that spelling too) were thrust upon the visitors there, and I'm talking about how a Christian should ideally respond under such circumstances.

Again, ideally. What Jesus preaches in the Sermon on the Mount is far from natural to any of us.

All I did was refer to what Jesus actually said. We are to lose our lives for His sake. Doesn't He say that, FT?

Again, we can't do this in our "flesh," it's something we can only do in the Spirit -- by God's own power.

God takes care of us in all our weaknesses and of course He saved this man from death in Bombay, but I believe we Christians tend to think from our own natural patterns more often than we think from "the mind of Christ" whose whole life was a sacrifice for us.

Of course it's "up to Him," Z, I'm not sure why you are making a point of that as if I'd seemed to have denied it?

My point is that WE need to be "walking in the Spirit" and most of us aren't, and in doing that THEN we are doing what HE wants, not what WE want. He guides our lives anyway of course, whether we are in His will or not, but NOTHING is to be "up to us" really if we are walking in the Spirit. It's then all prompted by Him, and what He prompts often seems counterintuitive to us and sometimes contrary to our natural survival impulses.

(If we walk in the Spirit we can do anything Shadrak, Meshak and Abednego did, FT, and it's a shame more Christians are not seeking this level of faith).

Only when we are truly walking intentionally in the Spirit will we know what He wants of us and have His power to do it.

Again, that doesn't mean that someone with less faith won't be protected by Him.

Z said...

Sorry...you said "Saving my life shouldn't be top priority" and I took that to mean we have a choice in whether we live or not.

Sometimes, semantics make these conversations impossible in writing at a blog! But, all good thoughts there, and what really only matters is what you say....dying to self, letting His Spirit live and come through us to others.

CJ said...

Whew! How easy it is to be misunderstood. Thanks for the clarification. Of course I merely meant that exerting myself to TRY to save myself shouldn't be my top priority, and whether I did that or not I know that if I live or die it's up to God.

Anonymous said...

This man's account of the events in Mumbai, is riveting.

These jihad terror cells exist all over the world, including here. This horror could happen in any hotel, in any number of countries any time the terrorists choose.

Ducky, let me remind you once again. Worlwide jihad was called for by Osama Bin Laden, in 1998. What is it about that you don't understand?

Their goal is world domination for Islam. Shoprat is right. We have to stay on the offensive. We have to fight them. If you apply moral equivalence to such a dire situation, it paralyzes you. Makes you complacent, and impotent.

Appeasement get's you a sharia court with sharia law in Britain. That's what it get's you, and if you think it will end with that, you're a dreamer.

If you're not willing to fight or support those who do, the least you can do is avoid emboldening the enemy, and falling for every bit of propaganda they put out there.

They're very good at it btw, they have the American and international left all figured out. You're really very predictable you know. Strength is the only thing they respect.

Pris

David Wyatt said...

Jungle Mom,

I heard about the young Judd girl, & am praying. Thank you.

I certainly thank God for Jonathan's safety. I was definitely HE who kept him safe & I pray that one day he will realize it & trust Him as Savior if he has not yet. I trust he'll do as my Dad did many years ago while in the Army. He said that he was just a Christian in mae only, went to church 2 or 3 times a year, didn't know Christ as Savior. Then after he got home from the Korean war, he just began to think about his experience, & it "hit" him that a "Hand" was protecting & guiding him the whole time, & he realized then that he could easily have been killed. A wonderful Christian friend soon after led him to Christ!! How thankful I am for that just in itself, but even more, guess who led ME to Christ? You got it! My Dad. God is so good. Oh, to be as Paul: To me to live is Christ, & to die is Gain!! (Phil.1:21)Who can hurt a man (or lady!) like that?? (Also Mt.10:28)
One final thang: As exciting & amazing as Jonathan's account is, & I take nothing from it, I still must say that the most exciting account I know of is in Acts 27! Thank you Z for this opportunity to express my thoughts. God Bless.

elmers brother said...

As far as racist remarks, I can't think of any but I'm pretty far from politically correct.

You'd be singing a different song if it were one of your kids or Papa Franks girls who were killed for no reason in that school, but they were only ragheads, right Christian.


Duhkkky you've intimated twice now that if there were no Western victims that we wouldn't care.

You'd be singing a different song if it were one of your kids or Papa Franks girls who were killed for no reason in that school, but they were only ragheads, right Christian.

I have never called them ragheads or otherwise Duhkkky. In fact duhkkky I've participated in humanitarian ventures to Muslims in Indonesia, Malaysia and Iraq.

My family and I financially support an organization that provides food, water, wells, builds schools etc. for








MUSLIMS!

Now stfu again.

elmers brother said...

It's one thing to be caught unawares in a web of tragic circumstances not of your making. It's quite another to roam about the world SEARCHING for tragic circumstances.

Who's searching for trouble? This is a huge business district and there were many people there ON BUSINESS...if you think that is searching for trouble then maybe becoming a hermit is in store.

I think that some of the best advice after 9/11 was to get out there and do what we normally do. This is what they do in Israel when bus goes off in a bomb etc. They go right back to doing business, riding buses etc. Giving in is what the terrorists want.

Rita Loca said...

Elmer Bros, I tend to agree with you. If we change our lifestyle out of fear, the terrorist win. Caution is necessary especially with children, but changing our habits will embolden the enemy as they will see it as weakness.

Z said...

CJ..good! we're learning! Very good.
\
Pris, STRENGTH IS the only thing they respect and yet the Left is doing all they can to make us weak...WE are "always wrong" WE are the bad guys, WE 'invaded', WE are colonializing..(rubbish).. WE WE WE..WE can do NO RIGHT..and OH, are the terrorists thrilled to hear we're SO divided.

Morgan....if we don't NAME it, we'll be destined to keep PC'ing ourselves to DEATH ..LITERALLY.

Elbro and JM..you're SO right. But, when we consider it could be OUR OWN CHILDREN, it becomes less easy to 'carry on', don't you think? I like to think we WILL when soft targets DO start getting hit here, and they will........
But, I think you're right; Americans are like Israelis..they're basically TOUGH and will carry on. I AGREE after all!

Karen Townsend said...

I saw this man interviewed on CNN not long after he arrived home. I heard him say most of these words and was struck by the fact that before he faced death, he was probably nowhere nearly as stringent about never forgetting that these men were the embodiment of pure evil. He seemed as though he was a more easy going kind of person. Anyway, he has a compelling story that we can all learn from about today's world.

elmers brother said...

I feel the same Z. I've held an Iraqi child in my arms while we distributed food etc....my own children were on my mind believe me, I understand.

elmers brother said...

Don't try to box outside your wait, Elmo.

hey duhkkky I was the one smart enough to point out to you that the news articles in India had found out that those terrorists were radical Muslims with ties to Al Queda and that they were isolating Westerners and that the stated goals of the terrorist group were to establish a caliphate and that I could explain the difference between Pan Arabism and Pan Islamism....

and we were still waiting for you to sit down and have a schwarma with the terrorists and find out what their stated goals are.

try not to box outside your weight class there duhkkky

wait you have no class

David Wyatt said...

Good morning Z!

Jungle Mom, I suppose you heard that the Judd girl has been found & seems to be OK! Praise God! We'll keep praying.

Z said...

Good morning, David...yes, we heard...isn't that wonderful!!? Blessings!!

Anonymous said...

People who travel to "trouble spots" are asking for TROUBLE, I don't care whether it's for business or --- as in the case of those who went to these (extremely luxurious, high-priced) hotels --- "pleasure." I don't know how I could say it more plainly.


If you really don't MIND the prospect of very possibly having your throat slit or your head blown off, by all means travel to the Middle East and to India and Pakistan. If making money is so important that people's lives should be put at unnecessary risk for it, then I believe a reassessment of basic values and priorities is in order.

BTW, I am not targeting anyone's remarks in particular, I am just trying to state what-I-believe-to-be common sense principles.

If terrorists come HERE, then we must deal with them RUTHLESSLY head on.

In my opinion we should have started giving all Muslims who were not citizens a one way ticket to "Islamania" on September 12, 2001. In addition we SHOULD have forcibly closed all Muslim Schools in the USA and put all mosques under strict surveillance.


Instead, Bush mouthed the words "Islam is a religion of peace," and then made the great and costly mistake of invading Iraq. Yes. It WAS a mistake.

Always best to clean up one's OWN back yard before taking action against one's neighbors.

~ FreeeThinke

elmers brother said...

If making money is so important that people's lives should be put at unnecessary risk for it, then I believe a reassessment of basic values and priorities is in order.

I realize you're not making a personal attack...I'm not either.
I just respectfully disagree.

This is everyday type business FT. It's not extraordinary for companies in this day and age to conduct business globally. Whether you're a Westerner of a Pakastani. I don't think shutting down one of the main business districts in a country is in order. Changing our lives out of fear is what the terrorists want. To give in to them is to feed their desire to sow discontent.

Anonymous said...

Oh my. Can you imagine the sheer terror? Realizing that the threat you've tried to block out of your mind is actually HAPPENING?

Thaks for posting this, Z.

I have always admired (not a strong enough word) Israelis who continue on in the face of daily threats. They raise their children there...just amazing. It's a choice to stay and fight (through daily living) or to flee. I honestly don't know what I'd do.

I suppose we're already in phase one of that situation here in the U.S.

Anonymous said...

Ducky, not to get too personal, but I thought you were a Christian?

You're Catholic, right?

Do you believe in Christ as your savior? (I'm not witnessing to you, I'm just asking...)

Then...why throw stones at ElBro and Jungle Mom?

....just wondering why there always has to be such division.