Boston Marathon Bombing

Post date: 16-Apr-2013 23:22:45

Most of you probably have already heard about the tragedy that occurred during the Boston Marathon a few days ago. As with any tragedy, it can be difficult to find reliable information regarding what happened and what authorities are doing about it. As far as I can tell, mainstream media outlets have been commendable in avoiding reporting inaccurate information for the sake of ratings during this horrible event, much more so than with the Sandy Hook tragedy that occurred not long ago. However, there are still mixed reports about 1) how many bombs went off and how many there were total and 2) how many people were killed/injured. Here is what I've gathered so far.

Bombings: 2 "pressure cooker" bombs exploded around 2:50PM near the finish line of the race, 1 (possibly unrelated) fire occurred at JFK Library at around 4:20PM.

Victims: Martin Richard (8), Krystle Campbell (29), and an unnamed graduate student, among over 124 others who sustained various injuries and amputations.

Suspects: None announced yet.

All in all, I think this is one of those cases where authorities, media outlets, and citizens are all handling this terrible event admirably and responsibly, and for that I am truly grateful. In times of crisis, there is much room for exploitation, and I'm happy to say that I don't feel like that is happening here. The only problem I can see surrounding how we as a society are dealing with this tragedy are some of the official government statements released so far. Many statements include references to "terrorism," a word we all know the government uses in reference to just about everything these days. We do not yet know if this was truly an act of terrorism or an act of public mass murder, and there is certainly an important difference between the two. Terrorism implies there is some political motive behind the act, a desire to inspire change or control through fear, whereas public mass murder does not necessarily need an end goal beyond its own destruction. Whether this turns out to be one or the other, we can only find out once we find the person or persons who are responsible.

I hope these individuals are caught and are punished according to the law. I wish all the injured a maximal and speedy recovery. I know that as humans, we are capable of the most horrendous atrocities, but also that we humans are capable of the most benevolent acts of kindness as well. It is a shame that the actions of a few can hurt so many, but it is a wonderful thing that no matter how many harmful people exist, there will always be an even greater number of people willing to sacrifice for the greater good. Events like these should bind us together in a common, positive purpose, not divide us between political slants or ideologies. I just wish it didn't take such a tragedy to inspire people to act on their greatness.