Tomorrow a small group of people will climb a low hill near Lockerbie, as a way of marking the 30th anniversary of an extraordinary disaster.
The terrorist bombing which killed 270 people on board Pan Am flight 103, while so significant in its international implications and ramifications was personal and local for those on the ground.
Residents of this small town lost friends, neighbours, whole families, streets were cleft in two. While there are few surviving relatives of the 11 Lockerbie residents who died, many on the ground were traumatised by what they saw that night and over subsequent days
Much of that trauma was endured in the public glare. It is little wonder many residents of the small town still have difficulty with its global fame and would rather not revisit their feelings about that night three decades ago.
The loss of 259 passengers and crew mean the town will always have significance for relatives from the USA and many other countries.
Lasting benefits did emerge from the destruction and it is important to reflect that. The loss of 35 students from Syracuse University has led to an enduring link between the New York city and Lockerbie which has been a comfort to people on both sides of the Atlantic, and has also afforded young people with great opportunities.
Meanwhile we should respect the quiet dignity of those who, despite the loss of loved ones, have not succumbed to bitterness or hate – what Canon Keegans, who is to give a homily in the town tonight describes as the ‘dark stream of evil’. He will also question whether they have received justice.
That, we still do not know. The local, low key marking of this anniversary should not secure the fact that a question mark still hangs over the trial that convicted the Lockerbie bomber. A review has been launched but it may be that a public inquiry is needed. Either way, it is important for the justice system that the truth should ultimately emerge.
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