Several thoughts about Monday’s events.
It is incredibly disturbing how quickly some loudmouths are calling the bombing a “false flag”, as if the FBI or other government agencies planted bombs with some ulterior motive. It is even more disturbing that some people are so paranoid that they believe these theories.
There have been a lot of graphic photos being circulated from this tragedy. We’re in an age where nearly everyone has the potential to be an instant photo-journalist, with their smartphone. For me, the graphic photos make the reality of the devastation much more intense, and certainly less abstract than the photos I’ve normally seen after such events. However, I don’t know if or how seeing them will/would change me in any way.
There is a lot of talk about not letting this situation make us fear public spaces in cities. I’ve read and heard commentary about how we should be resilient and get back to life as usual. However, from our history, we’ve seen that our lives do change because of these events. It is likely that at future large gathering in major cities, backpacks will be checked, more video surveillance will be done, etc. In some way, each event like this makes us lose a little more innocence and hardens us a little more.
Some may consider that “it could have been worse” in that only three people perished, and not more. Because the bombs were placed low, they caused an enormous number of “lower extremity” injuries; which are horrible, but often are not fatal. While we mourn the three souls that were taken from us, let us not forget the scores of people whose physical, mental and emotional health has been damaged significantly; many of them will need years to recover from this heinous act.
It is at times like this, when we see the sidewalk splattered with human blood, we’re reminded that we are all more similar than we are different. We all bleed and we all could have been those people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. We should live our lives with purpose and without fear.
The face of evil looms large in these acts. However, when we look closer, we see the face of heroic and selfless humans rushing towards those affected; not running away from them. An essay I read on Facebook compared these people to white blood cells rushing towards injured tissue; trying to repair and rebuild. I contrast this picture to the scenarios some paint of a need for a more weaponized citizenry because of their belief that — in a crisis — humans will ultimately fight each other rather than help each other. I believe it is possible to have both a survival instinct and a “white blood cell” instinct; they are not mutually exclusive.
May God and the Universe give those who have been impacted by this tragedy strength, peace, and healing.
– Aaron