Terrorists will never take our freedom
BEING at a gig is a moment of sheer joy. The children who went to see Ariana Grande at the Manchester Arena would have been unable to contain their excitement. The atmosphere would have been electric.
Last week, that joy was heartbreakingly destroyed in a despicable act of cowardice.
All that excitement, that innocent elation, turned to fear, to shock, and to horror.
The world has been united in grief and anger in recent days. Grief over the loss of innocent life and anger at the actions of murderer Salman Abedi. He alone is responsible for last week’s atrocity.
As we struggle to come to terms with what happened, we must teach children that the way to counter such barbarity is not with hate and with fear, but with compassion, tolerance, kindness and love.
Like the people of Manchester did last week – flocking to help, taking people home, offering places to stay and searching for children who had become separated from their parents. Like those who work in our emergency services did – as they always do – running, unflinching, towards horror, rather than away from it.
The general election campaign was rightly suspended in the days after the terror attack, but there is now a toughening of our resolve in the face of terror.
There is a renewal of our belief in this country’s enduring values of tolerance and respect.
And there is a determination to make sure that such horrific acts will never undermine our freedom or our democracy.