Ominous

This is a picture I found from AFP captured outside the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai. I've been following the siege closely during the past few days and I must say the attack echoes the ominous feeling I had when I saw the second plane crash into the World Trade Center live in on CNN. Below are some pictures from AP. It should give you a glimpse at the raw emotion and chaos.


They are the relatives of a 16 year old boy, Haresh Gohil, who was killed by the gunmen during the attack. What more can you say? (Picture from AP)


The sad truth is, as genuine as their plea might be, these kind of images are so often-seen that it's almost sarcastic. (Picture from AP)


I'm no saint and I tend to hold grudges, sometimes too much for my own good. But her expression makes me really wish "as long as you're okay," even to the ones who have hurt me the most. They are relatives of the Oberoi Trident hotel manager, reacting as his body arrives at his hometown. (Picture from AP)


Indian Muslims release pigeons during their anti-terrorist protest in Mumbai with a sign saying, "kill terror not terrorist." (Picture from AP)

Although a group has already claimed responsibility for the attack, it seems unlikely that the real culprits and their motives will be uncovered any time soon. As the authorities try to figure out which way to point their fingers and their blame, I'm reminded, oddly enough, of what Alfred, played by the great Michael Caine, said in The Dark Knight, "Some men aren't looking for anything logical. He can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn."

I really do hope we haven't crossed that point of no return where we have finally given up on trying to understand each other and just let the guns start blazing. With the economy and the environment already in troubled water, I feel like chaos is hitting our shores in waves. It feels like we're on a slippery slope to our own Armageddon and I hope for our own sake that we will hang on and not let the hate and pain sweep us away.