Ignore Trump's tweets – America stands in solidarity with London

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Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Twitter (Getty / Leon Neal)

Like many across the world, I watched the events unfolding in London on Saturday night in equal parts horror and dismay. And the next morning, I read President Trump’s self-serving and unsympathetic tweets with anger and disgust.

Sixteen years ago on a September day I was in London while terrorists attacked the city where I worked – killing friends and forever changing my country’s landscape. Unable to return home, I spent the next week following the attack wandering the streets and neighbourhoods of London. Hurt. Grieving. Lost. Broken. But I was not alone. The outpouring of love, friendship, and sympathy from everyone I met during that time pulled me through the darkness and gave me strength to move forward. You shared my pain. You hurt with me. You showed me determination and spirit unmatched by any I had ever experienced. I was embraced by your city as one of your own.

I will forever consider myself a Londoner – one of yours – grateful for the love and kindness an entire city showed me without question.

London is a strong vibrant city filled with a diversity of people who have compassion, love, strength, and spirit. A unique city unlike any other. Our nation stands with you forever.

Kevin Michaels
US

I am a citizen of the US. I am so very embarrassed by Donald Trump. He does not speak for the greater part of America's citizens. This was a freak election that has put into power a man that should never have been allowed to run. He has done years of damage to America already and is heading down a rabbit hole with our entire country and what it stands for.

Most of us here in the US stand with you in the UK in your time of pain and sadness. Please do not think that we think like Trump does. Every day I am more and more embarrassed and broken-hearted over the way Trump is acting. I have not called him President as I truly do not consider him to be what that term means.

Please accept our condolences and our embarrassments as America stands with the UK.

Samuel Croft
Citizen of the US

Theresa May is right: enough is enough

Stood on the steps of 10 Downing Street after the latest terrorist atrocity, Theresa May said: "Enough is enough."

After cutting 20,000 police officers, cutting our armed forces, cutting our security services and cutting our emergency services (not to mention cutting NHS funding, cutting disability support and cutting education funding) isn't it high time she admitted that not enough is not enough?

Julian Self
Milton Keynes

How very reassuring is the new sound bite: "enough is enough". Presumably, we can now look forward to:

Enough of arms sales to and business contracts with despotic regimes.

Enough of a Special Relationship with a crazed megalomaniac who has rejoiced in even more lucrative arms contracts and is determined to add to the destruction of our already fragile planet

Enough of being able to feebly express only "disappointment" at such transatlantic antics.

Enough of a failure to understand that being "bloody difficult" is never likely to encourage co-operation where it's most needed.

Enough of not learning from history by continuing to become involved in conflicts to which this country has contributed.

Enough of a lack of awareness that such involvements, without any follow-up plans, may have encouraged the development of the murderous ideology now being played out in the Western world.

Enough of social and economic plans which will ensure the vulnerable, the disadvantaged and the dispossessed in our society become ever more so.

Thursday's Election gives us all a chance to show that enough is indeed enough.

Sue Breadner
Douglas

Sadiq Khan, not Theresa May, has shown strong and stable leadership

So Trump thinks he is entitled to mock Sadiq Kahn, and in times like these? The Mayor of London was speaking for all of London, and by extension for all of the UK. So where was the UK Prime Minister to show leadership and to stand up publicly for the Mayor and to rebuke Trump? No, I thought not.

These are precisely the times when we need strong leadership, and May seems unable to show it. The USA may be a strategic ally, but she is no longer acting like a friend; there are too many recent examples to list here. It is time to take off the rose-tinted spectacles and to stay true to the friends we do have before we go on and snub them in an act of self-inflicted stupidity.

Charles Wood
Birmingham

Taking our liberties away does not protect us from terrorism

It seems to be an accepted part of the populist narrative that every piece of anti-terror legislation passed in the past 40 years actually prevented terrorism, so anyone like Jeremy Corbyn, who voted against such measures, was is someway soft on terrorism. This is a complete fiction, legislation like the Prevention of Terrorism Act did little to prevent terrorism but did result in the imprisonment of innocent people, like the Guildford Four and the alienation of communities (first the Irish, more recently Muslims).

Give up your liberties in exchange for security has been the cry of dictators down the ages, the same applies today. Making a bonfire of our liberties does nothing to prevent terrorism, in fact it marks a capitulation to the terrorists who want to destroy our democratic way of life.

Paul Donovan
London

Has May only just realised terrorists use computers?

What on earth has Theresa been doing for the last wee while?

These sudden revelations that extremists communicate online.

The sudden acknowledgement that low tech terrorism is the new reality.

The seven years most of which she was responsible for our response to these matters.

Not so strong and stable now Mrs May?

Wobble on.

John Sinclair
East Yorkshire

May has a few embarrassing conversations of her own to have

Theresa May's comments in the aftermath of the London Bridge and Borough Market attacks are what many doubtless wish to hear from our strong and stable leader. However, her mention of difficult and embarrassing conversations brought to my mind the pressing need for such conversations to be held with the leaders of Saudi Arabia.

To our shame we continue to sell arms to this regime and turn a blind eye to their actions. Further, our Government still seems unable to accept the clear link between our foreign policies and the bitter hatred that drives people to commit terrorist attacks in this country.

Lynda Newbery
Bristol

I assume Theresa May's “difficult and often embarrassing conversations” will begin with Saudi Arabia, right now. The embarrassment should be all hers.

Beryl Wall
London W4

Do not vote based on fear

It's been a tough few days for London, but we now need to bear in mind a famous quote from the U.S. President Benjamin Franklin who said "Those who give up their liberty for more security neither deserve liberty nor security."

For all the tough talk by leaders, and the outrage from the public, we must not forget what makes us human. The election on Thursday must not be dominated by these recent attacks, or by fear, but must be about what our wider society needs to flourish in the future.

I urge you all to focus on the essential concerns of us all like housing, education and especially our health service (as was the case a week ago). Come Thursday I hope you'll be voting with these crucial everyday issues at the forefront of your minds.

Colin Crilly
Tooting

The welfare state seems to have been overlooked during this election

Apart from foodbank use, welfare has not featured highly during the campaign.

This is worrying as cuts have come into force which will make many people's lives much harder, leading to more poverty and destitution. Depending on the outcome on Thursday, those in low-wage jobs could be much worse off.

This is a crossroads election, the wrong government would be a disaster for millions. There is no point moaning next week if you make the wrong choice!

Gary Martin
London

Terrorists do not deserve a religious burial

It is heartening to know that Imams have refused to conduct funeral prayer for the dead London Bridge terrorists (6 June). However, refusing to pray for the dead is not enough; Imams ought to do what the Mumbai’s Muslim did when a terrorist attack on their city in 2008 ended with the deaths of all ten terrorists: they declared dead terrorists as “not Muslim”, and refused to let the Indian authority bury them in the city’s Muslim cemeteries.

Mumbai Muslims’ action might seem a bit harsh and unethical, but it did help them to stay, not only on the right side of history, but also on the right side of India’s religious diversity.

Randhir Singh Bains
​Essex