Queens day 2009

There has been an attack on the queen and her family yesterday, on her birthday.

A 38 year old man drove his small black car at high speed through the audience and two barricades on purpose to hit the open coach the royal family were parading in. He just missed them, and a policeman on a bicycle standing in front of the monument he hit when his car stopped. On his way there he had hit 17 people in the audience, dragging some along a few meters, others flying in the air. 5 people died. The man is presumed to have lost consciousness shortly after the crash and at this moment he is believed to be brain dead. EDIT: - as I was writing this, the news came that he died.

Everything about this incident is shocking. How the festivities on a lovely day were transformed into a tragedy in seconds. The desperation of the man who did it. The utter desperation. maybe that is what scares me personally the most; that I feel more sympathy for him, than horror at what he did to 17 innocent bystanders and their families. He is described as a quiet, lonely and reserved individual who did not have friends, but people who knew him at a distance described him as intelligent, funny, and very kind.

He had been fired from his job a few months ago and was moving out of his appartment because he could not pay the high rent. He was supposed to hand over the key today.

He had never been in touch with justice and had no history of mental illness.

This act of desperation makes me feel so incredibly sad. The very fact that a person other people describe as "funny and kind" would want to do something like this. There is something wrong in this country.

Comments

  1. Yes, I read it in newspapers. Very sad and horrifying.

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  2. There is something wrong with the WORLD, a lot of somethings.
    Terrible

    And now a nice thing, go to my blog and see what is waiting for you.

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  3. A very sad incident indeed.
    I wonder what were his exact thoughts then.

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  4. I think he wanted to die. The newspaper are talking about an act of fear and envy, and an attack on a "vulnerable symbol of unity". I guess it is all of that. Although he can not have actually intended to physically harm the royal family because even if his car had hit their coach (it is like a touring car with open top) it would only have harmed himself. He hit 17 innocent bystanders and that is a terrible crime. His mind somehow must have been shut off to anything except his wish to die and make it an accusation to the royal family.

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  5. Thank you, Dick :)

    A nice surprise and a fun idea, I will do one too, just give me time to think!

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  6. Take all the time you need, I'll post the package next week.
    What a coincidence it is you who get it!!!!!!

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  7. Sadly, it's not just your country. It's everywhere. People are hurting and acting out. And we never see it coming.

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  8. Dick : sure is a coincidence, but I was really hoping for it, so maybe that helped... and I think that random number generator you linked to has a slight bias toward 9, so I was lucky to have that number!

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  9. SMB : true, it is everywhere. People can't get guns here easily, so this person used a car. Gun, car, car, gun... same difference in this case!

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  10. All the time I was thinking of his parents. They
    were in shock and very sorry for what their son did.He must have been at the end of his tether. They get psychological help like all the relatives of the victims. And I pity the young man who did this very much.

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  11. How terrible. How sad. I hope his victims find some sort of peace with this situation. What a ightmare.

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  12. Independently of the terrible and horrible disaster he has caused (5 people died indeed), I feel pity for him.

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  13. Thyme,
    I heard this unlucky happening. There is something wrong in your country? Nope. There is something wrong every but every where, not only there in your home.
    And being intelligent, funny, and very kind, such as good qualities but noone can see how's the inside. Where is important, and desperation gives fruit as time goes by.

    Well, Congrats to you for your winning:) Been happy to hear that it found you. N'joy and remember the "still" beautiful and kind the Netherlands, lol:)

    Have a SunnyDay~

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  14. only came to see who had pipped me to Dick's treasure - but now I'm here -- we saw this on the TV in the UK and the first thoughts were that it was some political attack but it seems to be the irrational act of one man - whilst that in no way helps the family of those that died at least it doesn't label a whole class of people as responsible and subject to reprisals that only hurt even more innocents.

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