Random Thoughts-Boston Marathon Bombing

I wanted to take a break from my usual light fare today and discuss the horrible events which took place in Boston yesterday.

As you may or may not know, I live in the Boston area. I am only twenty miles away, and visit the city a few times a year. I love my little city and to see what happened yesterday really hits close to home. It strikes even closer when I came close to being in the city yesterday. I had made an apointment with a temp agency to talk to them, but it was cancelled and rescheduled. Oh, and in case anyone is wondering no I did not know anyone who was in or around there yesterday.

I am submitting this late Monday night so I apologize if the information is incorrect or has changed, but as I write there are over 100 injured including two or three children and three dead (one was an 8 year old). To say that this is unacceptable is an understatement. The Boston Marathon is a cherished city tradition and while I may not be huge fan of it, I respect it and its importance to the city. This act is just a horrible, inexcusable offense which was the result of a coward. Yeah that's right, because only a coward will willingly injure innocent people who didn't do a damn thing to them. I don't know what the motive is, but it really doesn't matter either. What in the world is the point of doing something like this? The idea that somewhere there is a person or persons congratulating themselves on a job well done sickens me. Yeah, good job! Just to push your political or religious agenda three people lost their lives while many other suffered injuries (some of those life altering including losing limbs). Way to go!    I feel so bad for the runners and the spectators, just out to have a nice day and then this happens.

I just don't get it, and at my advanced age I have seen it all to many times. The Unabomber attacks. 1988 Pan Am flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie. The 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York City. The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing (which involved children at the Federal building). The 1996 Olympic Park Bombing in Atlanta (111 people injured). The 1998 embassy bombings. The 2000 attack of the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen. 9/11. The London bombings in 2005. And now the Boston Marathon Bombing in 2013. And that doesn't cover the threats or potential bombs which were discovered in time (and we're not even getting into shootings!).  And of course you can go further back in history, in 1963 there was a bombing in Birmingham, Alabama.

How many times do we have to go through this? I understand that people have differences in the world, there is nothing wrong with that. But what makes one person or group decide that their way is so right that their only choice is to kill people to advance their own agenda I will never get. It could also have just been a nutjob who didn't like the fact that the marathon was being run on a Monday or something, you never know. Still why anyone would think causing so much tragedy is the way is just lost on me.I think of all the families affected, and it really breaks my heart.

One of the things I love in Star Trek is the notion that one day we will get past this kind of violence. I guess we can only hope that there will come a time when this kind of thing is just pages in a history book. The ironic thing is that this happened on a fantastic day for the city. The marathon is alwayts a big deal, the Red Sox won, and everything felt good. Until reality stepped in. For now all we can do is take solace that there wasn't more injury or damage, it could have been lots worst. And there are some great stories here of people helping and caring for those who were injured. The first responders were just amazing in how fast they go there, the responses from the governor, mayor, and president were inspiring (this is one of those times when you forget you don't like the president and you respect him), and I am sure many more stories of courage will emerge in the next few days.

Of course there is a lot of greiving coming too. But we are a proud city, and a strong country, and you know we will rise up and be even stronger after this. Knock us down, and we just get right back up! I just hope that the culprits are captured and severely punished. Until they are, let's remember the victims. My heart is broken for my city and the victims of this horrible act.

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

― Fred Rogers