A Letter Home
It was my intention this morning to send this letter to my mailing lists before anyone woke up in the U.S. and discovered what had happened here in Madrid. Unfortunately my web hosting provider has chosen the worst day ever to experience some down-time. So, if you are on my 'tween mailing list you will probably receive a copy of this by email soon as well but I thought it would be better to have it posted here than not sent at all.
What follows are my thoughts written earlier today immediately following the terrorist attacks here in Madrid.
Update: I have also added a new story called "In Memoriam". These are my further reflections on what happened today in Madrid.
Friends & Family,
This is just a quick email to let you know that we are fine. You will no doubt hear in the news today that there was a major terrorist attack in Madrid. Although the bombs hit close to home we are safe and it seems that all of our friends are as well.
WHAT HAPPENED:
You can read about the attacks on many of the major news sites but here's a short recap of what just happened in our city. At 7:30 this morning (CET) a series of bombs exploded in a number of train stations near Madrid. The most destructive of these bombs were those that effected two trains in our most central train station: Atocha. These trains carry passengers to and from the outlying suburbs where we sometimes teach classes and some of our friends live. At least two of our friends ride the very trains that exploded this morning frequently and we often pass through the Atocha station which is a central hub for the subway system as well as the suburban train lines.
All of the news agencies and politicians have accused (quite logically) the Basque separatist group Eta. The Basque Country is a province of Spain and the home of this group of terrorists who have been fighting violently for independence since 1968 - pretty much the beginning of Spain's democracy. Since then they have been responsible for 850 deaths, a number that could rise dramatically today if their involvement is confirmed. With the national elections fast approaching (the polls will open this Sunday) the nation is bracing it's self for more acts of political violence and increasing security everywhere.
Before today the worst attack by Eta was in 1987 when they set off a bomb in a Barcelona supermarket and killed 21 people. Today we have watched the numbers climb steadily from 15 to recent reports by security officials of 170 people dead and more than 500 injured.
The news of the blast was the first thing that I heard this morning when I woke up. My roommate told me as I was getting ready for my day and I quickly called Robyn who was already in a class in the suburbs of Madrid. More calls followed to friends around the city as we all scrambled to make sure that everyone we knew was OK. Robyn returned home on a bus avoiding the trains both for safety and because the light rail system in Madrid has been severely disrupted by the bombs which have lead to an evacuation and complete closing of the Atocha station.
I can't describe how surreal it is to see the pictures of these Cercanias trains torn apart next to the platforms I stand on regularly. It is a confusing and sobering thing to think about how many people I know who could have been on those trains or to imagine being on them myself. The television news in Spain is much more graphic than in The States and I think the pictures of the dead lying under blankets on the tracks around what used to be trains will stick with me for a very long time.
A REQUEST:
I am thankful for life today. Thankful for my life and the lives of the people I love. Over the next few weeks though if you could take a moment to pray for us and our adopted country it would be appreciated. Pray for protection, for peace, and for justice to prevail.
We love you all very much!
-Shmuel