The Boston Marathon one year ago today became the latest target of terrorism. It is one of the saddest tragedies of our times that people gathered in public places at public events have become common targets of deadly violence. How utterly despicable it is to randomly and indiscriminately maim and kill people — babies, grandmothers, children – anyone who just happens to be nearby. Bombs, assault rifles, and in one of the latest episodes, knives, all unleashed at random. It’s nothing short of demonic.
The aftermath of the Boston bombing left behind two overriding memories, at least from this distance, both in time and miles. One of Boston’s year-old legacies is rather sad, the other astoundingly audacious.
In terms of sheer solid brass boldness, the decision to virtually shut down the city – a metropolis of hundreds of thousands of people – was unprecedented. Imagine the meeting that lead to that decision, contemplating shutting down every street, store, school, mall, transportation systems, you name it. It was an incredibly bold move, but it paid off.
The singular unity that made the total shutdown possible – much of it completely voluntary – gave birth to the rallying cry, Boston Strong. It wasn’t just a slogan. It described the resilient mentality of Boston, if not all of New England in the aftermath of the bombing. That admirable unity is really what made the speedy apprehension of the suspects possible. What is sad about Boston Strong is what it took to forge that unity: death and destruction. It’s reminiscent of the surge of patriotism that erupted after September 11.
While unity can be admirable and beneficial, it is a sad note, indeed, when it takes a horrific terrorist act to bring it about.