by Matthew Paul Bailey
Daily Lobo guest columnist
On July 7, 2005, the city I was born in felt the firsthand effects of the war on terrorism.
Four bombs exploded at various locations in London. These places were not full of the rich and famous, nor politicians or tourists. They were typical Londoners, the normal working people who are the lifeblood of one of the most famous cities on the planet.
London is one of the most fascinating examples of urban and multicultural life, featuring every kind of person - from celebrities to prostitutes, the royalty to the homeless.
But as the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, spectacularly illustrated, the world has moved to a new phase - and London is going with it.
The 20th century was the most turbulent in human history. It truly was the people's century. Battles moved from pre-ordained fields to the great cities of the world. Civilians were on the front lines of conflicts, and people could be ripped from their ordinary routines in the blink of an eye. Our technologies and our liberties could easily be used against us - and unfortunately, they have been, in New York, Madrid, and now my city.
Although the London attacks had a far smaller death toll than the Sept. 11 and Madrid attacks, they undoubtedly hurt us and caused chaos. Still, I truly believe the character of the people and the all-encompassing city will not be fundamentally affected the way Madrid or New York was.
If the death toll were 10 or even 20 times that of what it is - best estimates are currently around five dozen - the people of London would not comply with what the terrorists desire, which quite simply is the incitement of terror.
There are numerous reasons why I hold this belief. The first reason is that every rational person expected we would be attacked, and the obvious choice for this inevitable attack would be the London Underground, the veins of the city carrying the people like blood where they need to go. This expectancy lessened the blow to the people.
The second reason is the history of London. Large parts of the city were reduced to rubble and hundreds of people died during the Nazi bombardment of World War II. Although this was more than 60 years ago, I believe these events have become engrained and burned upon the city's collective consciousness.
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Also, from the 1960s until recently, we were under threat from and endured many Irish Republican Army attacks. Terrorism is not new to us, and therefore may not be as traumatic as it was for Americans.
Perhaps the most important reason why these attacks will not fundamentally alter us is the very character of the British people - particularly Londoners.
I have talked to many Americans who visited London and were surprised by the anonymity of London life. Everyone basically minds his or her business, the prime example of this being the Underground itself. They are shocked that people do not talk to each other and most often do not even look at each other.
This may be perceived as unfriendly behavior, and it may well be. Yet I believe this quiet strength will eventually cause these terrorist attacks to fail abysmally. It can be called the "Churchill spirit." It is our spirit to persevere and continue, no matter what outside factors try to disrupt our lives.
The next time you visit London, you will notice no change. We will still ignore you, we will still bury our attention in our newspapers or books on the Underground just as we always have.
That is our victory over those who wish to disrupt us. We will ignore and forget them, and that is the opposite of what they want.
We are already seeing normality return to London. People are back on the tubes and buses.
However, one consequence I fear deeply may come from the political elites. I fear that the liberties we cherish will be encroached upon because of these attacks - much as has occurred with the Patriot Act in America.
I aim to make no political argument. I am an individualist, and believe the government's role should be kept to the lowest possible level. I fear Orwell's dystopian vision of the future, and believe it is the duty of each of us to not allow these events to change our respective ways of life.
After all, if we submit to these consequences, then those who attack us will have won. If we persecute Muslims, they have won. If we change our way of life, they have won. They can kill us, but they cannot change us.
And that is how we will finally win.
-Matthew Bailey was an English foreign exchange student at UNM during the 2004-2005 school year, during which he wrote regularly for the Daily Lobo.
