Norway has been under attack. The answer from the people of Norway are visible for all to see, flowers! The message gives a specially strong impression on the national icon, the Lion outside the Parliament in Oslo.
Being from Norway, I am of course not the right one to boast of my own people. But I willingly admit that what I have seen the last few days have made me more proud an grateful than words can say of being from Norway. Just look at the teddy bear in the picture, among the flowers down by the main church in Oslo. Imagine the spirit of the little kid that give his/her teddy bear away .
Refuse aggression
The answer to hate is not more hate, but love and doing the opposite of what the violator/agressor/killer/terrorist wants to happen. I guess it is very hard for The Nobel Commitee to give the price of 2011 to their own fellow citizens? But there are many years, if ever since I have seen anything even close to the strong message of peace I have seen here these last few days.
Refuse hate
Where the idea of flowers came from I do not know. Maybe from some leader? Maybe from one of the medias? But that is not important. Flowers and an extremely strong message from young survivors from Utøya is what to focus on now. Just teenagers, having seen lots of their friends killed, at point blank just days before, are now speaking to big crowds about not letting the killer get what he wanted. Refuse hatred. Norway now has many «Gandhis», and I am nearly out words from what I have seen from these young people.
We all are Norwegians
That the formal leaders also are doing a good job is fine, but they have been elected and are being paid for it. These young aspiring politicians, and the people of Norway could never have been prepared for what they have been through. But when the going got real tough, they all got going. Personally I have mostly been by my PC in these difficult days, but spent the good part of Wednesday in Oslo. That was a life changing experience.
The sharp reader will see that I have not mentioned our new fellow Norwegians, of all colours in this little text. But why should I do that? Aren’t we all Norwegians?
NB! The flowerdealers are giving away all the extra money they make these days. They will not be terrorprofiteers. That is also worth mentioning here. All Norwegians are doing what they can do.