7.09.2005

Nev on bombing

I asked Nev (the Metrolingua British English Consultant) to offer his comments about what happened in his native land (he's a Brit living in Germany), and here's what he had to say:

It's barbarism of the first order to kill people who are just people travelling on public transport, and these terrorists compound the heinousness of their deeds by claiming they do them in the name of religion. No religion worthy of the name could condone these actions, and ultimately it is not one faith or another at fault but a misguided individual who pulls the trigger each time. I pity them. The suicide bombers think they are honouring their families and their caste and their religion, "martyrs" who destroy the lives of their fellow humans through murder and bereavement. I can still pity them for their stupidity and gullibilty, still human traits. But those I cannot pity are those who cynically plan these events and wait for the news to break in the media, and then write on the internet that their followers should rejoice. They are not human, these planners. Seemingly their wish is to bring us all into a new darker age where there is no culture but discipliine, nothing holy but control, and no joy, only cruelty.

Note the British English he uses: public transport (not transportation), honouring (not honoring). Word usage and accents and style are things I can't help but notice, even when awful things happen.

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