axe-on-a-train incident near summer labs of rapidlasso

[Martin Isenburg]

Hello,

some of you have expressed concern as the "axe attack" reported widely in the news happened just a few kilometers from the "summer labs" of rapidlasso GmbH. We do a lot of LAStools coding in the picturesque village of Sommerhausen near Wuerzburg, Germany. The town of Ochsenfurt where the 17 year old attacker had lived is where get groceries and where my accountant has his office. I use the train it happened on each time I embark on a business trip and the last station before his attack (Winterhausen) is the one where I board.

Recent media news reports instill understandable fear in us. But there are much more serious risks in our lives. And many of those we have at least some control over. To worry about terrorism will not change our overall odds much. Hence, we are best served to "refocus" any fears we may have to mitigate the common causes of harm: stay alert in traffic, eat healthy, quit to smoke, get medical check-ups, keep fit, and use care when operating equipment or taking the stairs. Statistically the biggest risks in our lives are traffic accidents, cancer, diabetes, suicide, drug abuse, falling off ladders, roofs or down the stairs, etc. These are the *real* risks. And we can actually do something to mitigate those to - statistically speaking - increase our overall odds for a long and fulfilling live.

I am personally much more afraid of the intended consequence (e.g. spreading fear and dividing people) of such violent actions than of my (statistically extremely low) personal risk to get harmed in any such sad event. I am much more worried about the increased possibility of some extremist demagogue getting legitimated into a major political role by the democratic vote of a fearful and gullible citizenry calling for a "tough" leader (than about a terrorizing axe-swinging teenager running amok) ...

Regards,

Martin @rapidlasso