THE BOSTON TRAGEDY

So here we are again, a normal day and another attack in our back yard. This time the attack happened during a joyous occasion that was supposed to make the news for a million reasons non of which included death and injury. The number of deaths and injuries in this bombing pales in comparison to the deaths and injuries in the World Trade Center attacks of 9/11, but it was still a horrible tragedy. Let's break it down briefly and see what it all means.

Two young guys with a belief that the world should be Islam are the presumed guilty. A building came down and we are reminded that there is no longer a safe place and that we are no longer allowed to feel any sort of peace or levity. It was interesting how the venue for this attack was a marathon. The message here was clear and that message is that there is no finish line to cross. Do we blame someone? Do we blame a set of beliefs?

Once the guilty parties have paid for their crimes we are still left asking questions that can never be answered. The ideas and theories are now coming out of the woodwork like they did in 9/11. An aunt of the two suspects said this was "staged" and her angel nephews were framed. These events will cause that rift and idea that all immigrants are bad and that Islam is terrorism. There will be misunderstandings and insecurity, a clear example that the actions of a few misguided fools are enough to judge entire populations.

The ultimate statement is that terrorism no longer has a stereotypical face. Terrorism is no longer limited to an organized group but it could be anyone with a belief so extreme and ardent that that they are willing to kill, injure and die for their so called cause. Yes here we are again and once more the result is confusion, a universal question, and no possible justice or answers. We are living in a world that is no longer easily defined.

This tragedy can never be undone and the people deeply affected can never forget what happened. We as a nation are reminded of dark moments that serve as a definition to our history. The biggest reminder this tragedy is giving us is the reminder that we are a beacon of hope and the defining standard. We as a nation enjoy freedom, opportunity, choice, and many other advantages. While we are not a perfect nation it's our allowance to be imperfect that makes us function the way we do.