Of all the sports venues in which I participated as an athlete or spectator over the years, I never worried about a bomb. It is a career that spans over 45 years and now I visit “roadside” outdoor sports venues at least six times a year. None of these include stadium or arena sports where the effects of a bomb would be truly devastating. They are marathons, half-marathons and triathlons which are not generally good targets for terrorism. Why? Clever terrorists try to maim, injure and kill as many folks as possible with the least effort, which means that enclosed or cordoned areas, such as a stadium or arena, are perfect bombing targets as people are concentrated or confined by walls, seats or other permanent structures. Road races and outdoor sports that involve long distances results in a crowd that is not concentrated, but is dynamic and always moving. Those who gather along these routes to watch and cheer are usually smaller in number. Any percussion or shrapnel from a bomb is mitigated by open air and a sparse crowd.
The Boston Marathon bombing is a tribute to the stupid terrorist, or in this case, the stupid Jihadist. A pair of guns would have been much more dangerous in this situation and the death toll would have increased dramatically. If our dear bombing brother Jihadists were regular Family Guy viewers, they would know the damage could be increased ten-fold by simply mowing down competitors with an automobile. But these brain-trusts, thinking they wouldn’t get caught, packed up a couple of pressure-cooker bombs and cowardly dropped them along the road without any fanfare, primal screams, or prayers. They were just ready to party. Fortunately, the FBI was able to oblige.
Much credit was given to Boston on the reaction of fans and officials alike, but we must remember that most of the people affected were from outside the Boston area. It is a fitting tribute to all Americans to see even the injured stay relatively calm as the terrible events unfolded. News footage from around the world skims across the internet showing tragedies where scores of people are crying and screaming at bombings, earthquakes and tsunamis, loved ones bent over the dead and injured wailing, wringing their hands and praying. We watch these heartfelt scenes and we think, “What would we do in such a situation?” After watching the horrible images of the New York World Trade Center and the Boston Marathon Bombing, I believe the answer is clear– we pitch in! We pull the debris aside and tend to the injured, comfort the wounded, and hug the frightened. After the initial shock, we stay together, rehabilitate the injured, bury the dead, and hunt down the killers. A little later, we resume our lives. We take back the little pieces of our lives that these people try and blow away from us.
No government, nation, people, military or police force can guarantee safety from a terrorist attack. It will happen again. We cannot stop them, but . . . they cannot stop us. There are more of us than them and it will always remain so. Letting these cowards scare us off our own streets, away from our festivities and daily activities means they win. Don’t let them. Go out without fear and show that the word “terror” is something you reserve for the Saturday afternoon matinee movie. Show anyone and everyone that tries to destroy your way of life that they can’t do it. And when they do, they will be hunted down like a rabid animal. They want nothing from you but your fear. Don’t let them win!