The Aftermath of Friday's Attacks

I've been reading a lot since Friday and thereby writing very little - trying to wrap my head around exactly what has happened in Oslo at the hands of someone who will probably soon be deemed a psychopath. Being in another country when tragedy strikes brings a little more attention to the local news sources and attempts to understand foreign vocabulary on unfamiliar topics. In learning Norwegian, I had never thought about how to translate words such as "execution," "custody," or "perpetrator" but in three days time they have become all too familiar. On the other hand, there is also a vocabulary of hope and national unity that runs as a thread through the gruesome news accounts, and in this I find some comfort.

The bombing site in Oslo is a five to ten minute bike ride from my apartment. A distance far enough away not to be directly effected, but too close to ignore what will be a major event in Norwegian history. Today I borrowed a city bike and rode to the site to better understand what had happened and what is currently ongoing in the Oslo. I chose not to ride my personal bike since I wasn't sure what to expect in way of finding a place to lock it up and walk around. Most of me imagined there would be soldiers in fatigues carrying large guns at every access point - a sight that ironically I've only experienced when passing through Penn Station in New York and by the American embassy in Nepal.

It turned out that instead of armed guards at every view point, there are flowers. People have turned the fences into memorials which draw crowds to sidewalks and closed streets. An amazing number of people are out in the city today visiting these memorials and trying to make sense of what has occurred in our city. It shocked me dually to see the extent of damage through the city's buildings (at least a quarter of what I'd consider the downtown area is affected) and the amount of compassion in the city's people. Residents and visitors from all backgrounds are united in the aftermath of this tragedy.

Before today's visit, everything that occurred on Friday has been a little remote to me and I've looked upon the events as a distant observer. This feeling the more emphasized by not being a Norwegian, but of closely observing the reactions of both the Norwegian people and the Norwegian government. I must say that it's greatly impressed me to be here at this period of such tragedy in being able to see the strength of democratic ideals and unchanging policies of openness and acceptance. I was greatly touched by this first hand account of the island assassinations urging against irrationality, hatred and calling for the death penalty.

Governmentally, the prime minister and the king both continue to repeat a sort of mantra urging not to allow fear to lead, but instead to continue strongly upholding the values Norway have always held. These quotes comfort me in their sincerity - while these attacks were extremely tragic, I believe (and hope) that Norway will keep their overall trust in humanity and refrain from becoming a landscape of fear marked by heavy blockades, military presence, metal detectors, x-ray machines, and above all, hatred.