MILAN—Flags in public places here are flying at half-staff to commemorate the latest victims of savage violence in the bomb blasts that rocked the airport and a metro station on Tuesday in Brussels.
Well before this week's new attack, security in Milan was intense. Just to visit the cathedral can take well over an hour of standing in line to pass through security that includes a metal scanner and then a search of bags and parcels. Military personnel heavily armed with machine guns patrol the line. One can go through another line just to pray in sectioned-off areas of the cathedral; this line is much shorter, but the security is the same. Entering the cathedral is very much like passing through airport security. It was reported today that a woman was told to drink down a bottle of water she had with her. No water bottles into the cathedral!
People here are used to hightened security. Last year from May 1 to October 31, Expo Milano 2015 took place in Milan, a huge international event. Everyone was alert to the possibility of an incident. Fortunately none occurred. Still, heightened security sometimes led to two to three hours in line waiting to get in.
People accept the nuisance of high security as a necessary part of life these days. If a terrorist is willing to die himself in his determination to murder others, little can stop him except preventing his access to dramatic venues or events. And it is crucial, people conclude, to live life with reasonable caution but also without fear, refusing to give the terrorist the last word and thus the victory.
Mourning and heightened security in Milan after the Brussels attacks
Show Comments ()
1
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
William Rydberg
8 years 1 month ago
It's interesting that the newspapers have failed to notice the patently obvious. Likely because it lies at the center of the E.U., and it's actually frightening.
Belgium is racked with Separatism, the Dutch speaking Flemish and the French speaking Walloons are fighting over the body of Sick Old Man Belgium. So much so, that it's difficult to coordinate an effective modern State. As I understand it, it's the E.U. Official policy to encourage groups (ethnic ) to make their own way independent of National Governments and instead look to the E.U. , in my opinion is working. And the E.U. Government is headquartered in Sick Old Man Belgium.
Some say that one of the reasons why the Power States in Europe chose Belgium to house the European Union Headquarters was because it was a weak Nation. Kinda like the same Policy followed by US states when they established States Capitals in areas outside of the pull of the big cities. IMHO that strategy has worked too well. Who knows, maybe the European Palignment will annex Belgium and give a status similar to the District of Columbia. Stay tuned..
Result, modern Belgium is described even by the Germans and the Turks as a failed State: here's a link to the German National Broadcaster: http://www.dw.com/en/opinion-belgium-is-complicit/a-19137229
Pray for that once great Catholic Nation.
in The Risen Christ,
The latest from america
Some of the “made in the U.S.A.” bombs Israel Defense Forces are dropping over Gaza include 2,000-pound bombs that have been responsible for some of the most devastating—and questionable—strikes of the months-long campaign against Hamas.
Many Jesuits schools have recently been sites of passionate protest, peaceful activism and regrettably some incidents of anti-Semitism.
Directly ending human life—at any stage—tears the metaphysical tapestry of existence.
”The division and hatred that have been part of these protests and demonstrations do not come from the true God,” Father Roger L. Landry said.