MollyMac

Please move this, mods, if it belongs somewhere else but I'm not thinking straight and I can't concentrate on my work this afternoon. Tomorrow morning I'm getting up at the crack of dawn to take my 16 year old daughter to Heathrow airport where she is supposed to be boarding a flight to Washington D.C. for a four day school trip. The airport is on high terror alert. It's surrounded by soldiers and tanks and hundreds of extra police. I see in the newspapers that Americans have been told to stockpile food and medicines in case of chemical or biological attack.

The anxiety all this is causing me is bad enough but it's small fry compared the stress of dealing with my mother who is on the phone to me every couple of hours, screaming at me about how I can let her go. She phoned Rosie's school anonymously and screamed at them and tried phoning the Foreign Office to order them to cancel all flights immediately.

My daughter is longing to go on this trip. If it's cancelled she'll be heartbroken.

I've tried very hard to think things through rationally. It seems to me that flying to the US when both countries have increased security is better than going at any other time. I wish the decision could be taken out of my hands. I wish they'd just close the airport and cancel the flight, permanently. But when the school phoned me a little while ago and asked for my views, I told them my view depended on what information they had from the Foreign Office and the information they had was that there was no reason to cancel any flights. On that basis I said that I didn't mind the trip going ahead.

Now, of course, I'm sitting here thinking "What if....what if....I'll never forgive myself....etc."

The school is phoning all the parents - if a majority oppose the trip they'll cancel. Guess what I'm hoping?

I'd estimate that a majority are theists and predominantly Hindus and Muslims. If I were a theist would I find comfort in prayer? IS one of the main functions of religion to help people through times like this?

Where does someone like me - atheist to the core - draw strengh and comfort?

Cripes this is hard! What would you do?

Leesifer

Molly, try looking at this thread for a bit of reassurance.

http://www.iidb.org/vbb/showthread.php?threadid=45371

Godless Dave

I'd let her go. The terrorists could strike anywhere. On a plane to D.C. isn't any more dangerous than at home in London (IMVHO).

As for strength and comfort, you get it from within.

so-crates

Your concern for your daughter is understandable and indicates that you care for her a great deal, which is a good thing. But keep in mind that you're daughter, while not a full adult, has to start making her own decisions at some point. I am still young and don't have any children myself, but I'd hope that when they reached that age I'd let them decide what risks they want to take, within reason. You can't keep children in the cradle forever.

If you want the 'atheist comfort' then the only thing I can offer is that you are much more likely to die in a car accident than be a victim of terrorism, but you still let your daughter drive, don't you?
On a sadder note, in the U.S. you are also much more likely to be the victim of random violence than terrorism. So the odds might offer you some comfort.

Life cannot be lived fully without taking risks. I decided a while ago, about the same time as I deconverted actually, that life is not worth living in fear. Do not let it control you.

muon

Damn, I feel for you.

I fly all of the time, and quite frankly flying has not been the same since September 11. (I'm in the US, by the way.)

The thought that gives me the most consolation is anger ... anger at the crazy religionists who have everyone so scared, and that it's really hard to stop someone who's determined to commit an act of terror.

That anger gives rise to an incredible urge to resist, any way I can. That means going about my business as best I can, including flying almost every two weeks on average. I can't say I'm terribly comfortable, but there is a sense of satisfaction I get about doing it anyway.

Do not let them beat you.

so-crates

Oh yeah, and that idiotic 'Terror Alert' is just a way to scare people into a pseudo-Orwellian devotion to the state. The world will never be safe.

Is your mother old enough to have lived through the Battle of Britian? If so, what she had to face is about 10x the level of what the West is facing now.

AspenMama

As atheists, we well know that prayer does not work. Even xians will agree that they do not get what they ask for--

You need to resort to logic, and remember you always have choices-- no higher being will make those for you. I can understand your fear of putting your daughter on a plane.

You could have your daughter wait and go another time, perhaps in a few years. There will be other trips-- she will be disappointed but will get over it.

But be sure to weigh the actual risk against the media hype...

pz

What if she stays home and is injured in a car accident? "What ifs" are pointless.

This supposed "high alert" is nonsense. It's a political ploy. Bush is getting ready to go bomb some people, so he's trying to scare the bejabbers out of people at home so they won't oppose it. Did you hear Tom Ridge talking about this? He babbled. They asked him specifically what there was to justify this, and the best he could scrape up was "internet chatter" -- he has no information about specifics.

So relax. It's the mothers in Baghdad who have just cause for fear. The fears in America are just irrational hysteria.
From reason. From friends and family (although it sounds like at least some of the latter have abandoned all reason and will be no comfort at all).

Shake

Well, you probably don't have to worry about someone flying the plane into a building - it's been done already. Frankly, I kind of feel that increasing airport security after the attacks (although not a bad idea) is kind of like calling the fire department after a building has burned down. Yeah, I know, other things could happen, but they could happen at any other time. So you can either worry all the time about what might happen, or you can live your life (while still being safe). I don't mean to say ignore serious, viable threats, but you can't constantly worry about things that some group or other might do. It's not healthy for you or your family.

Anyway, I hope her trip is pleasantly uneventful (in the regard that you're worried about), and she enjoys her trip! DC is a great city to visit!

beth

I understand your fear and pain. I truly feel for you. I do hope that your daughter will have a wonderful and safe trip. If you feel the need to pray, just pray out into the cosmos... It may give a little comfort.