The Manchester terror attack last night was the act of a coward. Nothing else.
If there’s a hell, I hope he’s rotting in the deepest darkest depths of it.
This isn’t directly sports related. But this is the platform that I have available and the Manchester Terror Attack hit me pretty hard.
A vast majority of my life has been spent in in concert venues. Who I am as a person, the ethos that are at the core of my psyche, were molded by the musical community of my youth. That community centered around The Cafe Metro, Backstage, The Zoo, Club Toast and The Staircase — all music venues. Weekend trips to larger venues in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia extended this family.
Those concert halls of my youth were safe spaces. I don’t mean “safe space,” in the current buzzword definition of a safe space. I mean it from a far deeper place. At a music venue, you could be yourself and no one judged you; the crowd, the music and the scene was all inclusive. For many it was an escape, for many it was an outlet and for many it was a home. At a punk rock show, you might inadvertently get a black eye, but if you got knocked down, the guy (or girl) next to you was always there to pick you back up.
As I aged, I began promoting concerts and eventually opened a music venue. I would bring hundreds and sometimes thousands of people together, all with a common goal; to enjoy music. Beneath all of the music industry bullshit, one undeniable level of purity always remains; the live performance. No matter how jaded the music industry or life makes you, a great live musical performance transcends all of life’s bullshit.
Last night, a coward, attempted to take that away. An attack was made on the music community and world as a whole. Those kids in Manchester were just attending a concert, they wanted to see their favorite pop singer perform. They’re no different than you and I. They are us. We are them. Anyone that has every attended a live music performance is directly connected to the Manchester terror attack victims. The attackers and their supporters aim to sully the purity of the things we love and make us fearful of the lives we lead. They won’t succeed.
You see, the purity of music is larger than a single act of cowardice. The music community will rally and we will support one another.
- You can donate to the Manchester Terror Attack Victim fund by clicking here.
We as a civilized society can not allow the actions of the worst aspects of society to make us change our ways of life. Our ability to come together, be it at a concert, a sporting event or a protest rally, must continue in spite of these horrendous attacks. That’s what separates us from them. People of different races, creeds, religions, sexual orientations and political beliefs are united by the love of music (and sports). We can come together in mass, despite or differenced and unite over a common shared interest.
They can’t and they won’t take that away from us.
Our thoughts, prayers, love and positive vibes are with everyone affected by the Manchester attack.
Because we live in America and the terrorists would hate it, here are some Ariana Grande music videos that would really piss them off.
Manchester Terror Attack News
CNN.com: Manchester, England (CNN)At least 22 people, including children, have been killed in a blast at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, in the deadliest terror attack on British soil since the 2005 London bombings.