This year, the 2013 Boston Marathon was used to stage a media event featuring death and injury of innocents. If the intent was murder and momentary fear then the criminals that staged this temporarily succeeded; if the intent was terror, then the murders failed and failed miserably.
Citizens all around the event instantly converged to help their fellows, including the many volunteers from the nonprofit Boston Athletic Association and the runners themselves. Medical doctors, nurses, staff and students from surrounding hospitals, including Mass General, the Tufts Medical Center, and the Boston Medical Center returned to work before being called, knowing that their special skills would be required. Boston’s uniformed police and firefighters, other first responders and volunteers with all sorts of skills came together. Hotels and businesses opened their doors to help stranded visitors, and people gave blood to the American Red Cross and other organizations that replenish the blood supply for hospitals in time of need. The whole City of Boston and its visitors came together in cooperation and mutual support.
A day later, recovery and purposeful investigation are underway even as we grieve. Both are being led by government and nonprofit professionals that do not give up. Most will get no special recognition for the critical jobs that they perform so well. They just get their jobs done and take pride in what they achieve every day. Men and women of all backgrounds, ethnicities, religions and ages will focus and serve. Even as many privately bear their own losses and work through their own feelings of anger, despair and sorrow that come with this work, they will keep at it. These are our heros.
The circle of action and mutual support is expanding even now – the City of Boston … the State of Massachusetts … New England … the United States of America… the world will join us soon. Together we shall recover, together we will find justice.
Terror?
I don’t think so.
What do you think?
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