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I've been watching the events unfold in the city of Boston. The initial "disbelief" of sorts that tried to tell me it's some sort of terrible accident. The realization that it was indeed intentional. The horrible carnage. The once again shattering of relative peace and security. And the utter cowardice of the group or individual responsible. I feel a rising rage, a helplessness for the injured, and a steely resolve to not let it happen anywhere near me. I hate humanity for what it is capable of. I lose faith and respect for people and weep for our future.
But as some time passes, and I begin to see video and hear accounts of what transpired the moment after the blasts, I see things that begin to crack the shield of anger and disgust I had immediately built around myself. I see amazing, selfless acts. I see incredible courage in ordinary people. I am reminded once again that during those times of tragedy and terror, in the face of extreme danger, I see the unstoppable good in so many people. Before the smoke had even cleared, as people were running from the blast sites, I began to see far more people running to the scene, tearing down barricades, tossing aside debris and doing whatever else they can to reach the injured. These selfless individuals weren't thinking of themselves or the possibility there could be another explosion. These folks charged directly into the face of danger to assist their fellow human beings. Stories of medical personnel on hand to see to the marathoners rushed to the scene to help. Wheelchairs and medical gear were on hand. The same marathoners kept running, running to donate blood or offer other assistance. Emergency personnel working diligently to secure the scenes and prevent more injuries. All of this in the span of minutes.
Indeed there are terrible people in this world, and our focus seems to settle on them way too often. We seem to forget, or somehow don't see, those selfless acts that happen every moment of every day. And when some major tragedy befalls us, the true heroes come out in force. A force much bigger than the ugly side of humanity. My heart goes out to those people affected by this tragedy, and my highest respect to those who gave of themselves to help others.
But as some time passes, and I begin to see video and hear accounts of what transpired the moment after the blasts, I see things that begin to crack the shield of anger and disgust I had immediately built around myself. I see amazing, selfless acts. I see incredible courage in ordinary people. I am reminded once again that during those times of tragedy and terror, in the face of extreme danger, I see the unstoppable good in so many people. Before the smoke had even cleared, as people were running from the blast sites, I began to see far more people running to the scene, tearing down barricades, tossing aside debris and doing whatever else they can to reach the injured. These selfless individuals weren't thinking of themselves or the possibility there could be another explosion. These folks charged directly into the face of danger to assist their fellow human beings. Stories of medical personnel on hand to see to the marathoners rushed to the scene to help. Wheelchairs and medical gear were on hand. The same marathoners kept running, running to donate blood or offer other assistance. Emergency personnel working diligently to secure the scenes and prevent more injuries. All of this in the span of minutes.
Indeed there are terrible people in this world, and our focus seems to settle on them way too often. We seem to forget, or somehow don't see, those selfless acts that happen every moment of every day. And when some major tragedy befalls us, the true heroes come out in force. A force much bigger than the ugly side of humanity. My heart goes out to those people affected by this tragedy, and my highest respect to those who gave of themselves to help others.
