Boston Marathon

I'm probably going to regret this but having lived under the threat of Ira bombs I'm going to ask.
Why would someone from Finland be a avid supporter of the IRA?

 

I must disagree with you about a discarded duffel bag not raising attention in a sports event, the bag ... ANY bag or case left unattended in a large gathering is cause for concern.

It's up to us, the common folks to make things as difficult as possible for these cowards to carry out their acts against civilians.

You go to war with a country's Gov't, not the average folks that live there ... attacking civilians always has and always will be a cowardly act.

 

No matter what is going on, people should not be leaving their personal belongings unattended in public. They are likely to be molested or stolen.

Conversely, if there are unattended items in a public area, whether they may be a bomb or not, some attention should be given to them. Alerting a nearby officer or making a non-emergency call may be helpful.

Panic may not be necessary, but caution should be.

 

I am yet to be in a situation where panic was the correct response.

 

During my grand tour I spent the summer of 1997 in Éire, most of it in the beautiful city of Dublin. As I have mentioned before, I later found out that most of the host families of the international students were most likely selected by the IRA in order to spread their propaganda to the continental Europe. In my case they clearly succeeded. I did and do believe in the policy of “one island one Ireland”.

Finland was subjugated by the kings of the Swedes over six hundred years and after those two hundred years by the tsars of Russia. Our independence did not come without spilled blood of our former masters. Because of that I can relate to the IRA, they are fighting for the freedom of the last part of their island that is still under foreign occupation. Finland lost Petsamo and Carelian Isthmus to the soviets in the aftermath of the WW2. A loss we have never forgotten nor forgiven, the latter was and is the birthplace of our ethnic identity. Thus I will always avidly support (btw. it is an avid not a avid supporter) freedom fighters where ever they may roam.

Of your distress I am sorry. All that could have been avoided if your government would have granted independency to the whole of Éire and not just the southern part of it. I have received the training how to operate during foreign occupation and personally I would not hesitate a second arming a bomb directed against the occupationers.

I hope you understand my point of view and do not regret asking.

Do not get me wrong here, perhaps that is the case in the US but not in here. We are not accustomed with ordeals as such. May 26th 2012 some deranged teenager climbed on a rooftop in Hyvinkää and started to snipe down random people. The first responding police team was gunned down as they were wearing only light body armor (not that it makes any difference what they wore since the shooter used .338 Lapua magnum which would penetrate most known body armor, disagree?) since they could not believe there was an actual threat as such things do not happen in Finland. Similarly the Boston police nor the public did not anticipated any hostile act, saying that they should have is only hindsight.

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Benjamin Franklin.

 

There are quite a few comments I could begin to speak on, or about when reading your interpretation of my remarks.

My innate ability to dodge baited discussions has prevented me from doing so.

 

Nice one Sirchet.

Likewise there is so much I could say but I see no point.

Radicalization in the formative years seems to remove the ability to see
anything beyond the narrow confines of your own beliefs.

 

For what it is worth, I do not think such a situation exists, but my point was that most people do not recognize a potential threat, including the so called officials, until it is too late.

Truly so.

Non-emergency call? No such a thing has existed in Finland since the year 2000. It is stupid I agree, but the officials believe that there is no need for a non-emergency line in Finland.

I believe that every citizen has the right to live their lives free from any fear of random violence and that it is the duty of the government to ensure that, although I do admit that such task is very demanding and that there is always a room for a human error, did I like it or not.

Please do so, even if you think that it is waste of your time. I am, as always, willing to learn more, even if I do not agree with you.

“Baited”? I have no hidden agenda (I have told mine openly) and I am honestly curious to hear your point of view, especially If It does not concede with mine. Do not stonewall, educate.

 

Random violence seems to be part of the human condition. The police proactively improve this situation by stopping people and situations that contribute to the problem, but ultimately, it is up the individual to protect themselves.

If something is happening, the police, God bless them, will probably arrive after it's over. So it's best to be alert to the problems and have the means to deal with them.

As for the reunification of Ireland, it's not going to happen until the people of Ulster WANT to be part of the rest of Ireland. Terrorist attacks only delay that day. The guiding principle will be self-determination, not history.

While I believe Ireland should and will be reunified, the I.R.A. has too often been in bed with garbage like Nazis, Communists and Islamic extremists to merit any support from me.

 

I must respectfully disagree with that. Random violence is a part of the culture only if the surrounding society accepts it. For example during the nearly hundred years of the independence of the Finnish (the political assassinations of the 19th century when Russian bureaucrats were targeted is entirely different case) nation there have been only three school shootings, one random shooting, one public bombing and two shooting incidents that ended in a death of a police officer. Of the latter the firstly mentioned incident took place in 1969 and the second was executed by a Danish immigrant in 1997. Both caused nationwide uproar and the funeral services of the fallen officials were nation widely televised and the churches were packed with random members of the public mourning, as a clear statement that such random violence is not accepted in Finland.

We do have one of the highest rates of violent crime in the Western Europe, but that is no concern for the general public. The average violent crime is committed by a homeless alcoholic armed with a puukko (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puukko) stabbing also a homeless alcoholic over some meaningless disagreement over alcohol. There is only a miniscule chance for an average person to become a victim of a violent crime. The NRA should use Finland as an example when they do their propaganda. Only US of A and Jemen have more firearms per capita than we do (mainly semi-automatic high power rifles used to bring down large game like the moose or brown bear), but we have less than one gun related fatality in a year. We are living proof that guns do not kill, people do.

I quoted Franklin because the security we enjoy does not necessarily correlate with the number of the police officers. We do not need armies of police nor a police state to feel and be safe. Finland has the lowest number of police officers per capita in the entire EU but we are still one of the safest countries, if not the safest country.

Actually I cannot disagree with you here. IT is up to the residents of the Ulster whether the reunification happens or not. Also the Army has made many not so savory friends during its struggle, although they are only living up to their catholic fate: the pope of Rome has sanctioned the use of any and all means to achieve a pious end. Personally I cannot condemn the Army for doing so, but then again I am a supporter, who do believe that their cause is a just one.

 

You may not have noticed but there is peace in Northern Ireland at the moment with a coalition government formed but Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists.

 

I have noticed the armistice in the Tuaisceart Éireann as I am aware of the official disarmament and the disbandment of the Army. Yes, there is a coalition government in the Tuaisceart Éireann at the present time. As a republican and a skeptic I do not believe that this compromise is a lasting one. There are still fractions on both sides (the True IRA and numerous unionist organizations) that do not accept the current situation. Too much blood has been spilled on both sides to either or both sides to ever accepting a lasting compromise. Although, in this subject my judgment may be clouded by the republican propaganda, nevertheless I pray the Greatest to allow the reunification of Éire.

 

A DnD game forum attracting trolls.
Appreciate the irony.