Steve Sherrick
Well-known member
Today was a picture perfect day for the Boston Marathon. Sunny, not too warm. Of course, in these parts it's also Patriot's Day to celebrate the first battles of the Revolutionary War. With kids on school vacation, it's a great time to head into the city to watch the ballgame, see the Marathon, enjoy the vibe of the city. The Red Sox had just won with some late inning heroics. Boston was alive with energy with runners from all over the world, their families, and tourists taking in all that the city has to offer. 117 years this race has taken place, oldest in the country. I had considered venturing into the city myself to capture some stock footage with my RED as the Marathon is a great opportunity to get fun shots. Alas, too much editing on my plate, I decided to stay back and get some of that done. Shortly after 3PM I received a call from my wife Ann telling me she had heard there were explosions at the marathon. I checked CNN, but nothing popped up, so I figured maybe there had been an accident. Boston is an old city, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that a pipe may have burst or something to that effect. I wandered down to the TV to turn on the news and that's when the reality of what happened today hit me square in the face. Local news was showing footage of the explosions and it was easy to see in the footage that two explosions had occurred about two blocks apart. Immediately I got a sick feeling in my stomach. What was initially just referred to as explosions was clearly bombs. And from that moment, I knew everything was going to be different.
Bostonians are tough, like New Yorkers, like many Americans. The events today are not the first on US soil and we all know it probably won't be the last. Nonetheless, when something like this happens in your backyard you immediately feel violated. I have walked those city streets hundreds, probably thousands of times. Every city has its challenges with crime and Boston is no exception but until today most have never experienced a large attack like this and despite our toughness, despite our will to want to move on and get past this, I suspect that many Bostonians will not walk the streets of with the same sense of comfort they did before today. It will stick with them for a long time. So, does that mean we lose, and the attackers can claim a victory based on the fear factor alone? No. I don't believe so. However, we should all have our eyes wide open to the issues that are plaguing us globally. Violence is far too prevalent in our society. It's complexities are daunting. There is no waving of a magic wand. There are only longterm solutions. The issues are not as black and white as people try to categorize them. We rely far too much on political ideology and often lose sight of common sense. But even common sense can't solve the nonsensical actions of the mentally ill or the despondent. I honestly have no idea how to right the ship. With billions of people on the planet, the likelihood of preventing every tragedy like the one that unfolded in Boston today is probably never going to be realistic. But hoping that violence goes away and doesn't land in our backyards is certainly not a solution either. I can only imagine that part of the answer lies in a proactive approach. I would love to have the perfect solution.
Right now, Boston needs time to mourn those who have lost their lives or were injured today. I feel terrible for the families that are dealing with this first hand, especially when young children were involved. Let us not forget that today was also Jackie Robinson day and we can look to him for inspiration on how to look hatred in the eye and not let it get the best of us.
Bostonians are tough, like New Yorkers, like many Americans. The events today are not the first on US soil and we all know it probably won't be the last. Nonetheless, when something like this happens in your backyard you immediately feel violated. I have walked those city streets hundreds, probably thousands of times. Every city has its challenges with crime and Boston is no exception but until today most have never experienced a large attack like this and despite our toughness, despite our will to want to move on and get past this, I suspect that many Bostonians will not walk the streets of with the same sense of comfort they did before today. It will stick with them for a long time. So, does that mean we lose, and the attackers can claim a victory based on the fear factor alone? No. I don't believe so. However, we should all have our eyes wide open to the issues that are plaguing us globally. Violence is far too prevalent in our society. It's complexities are daunting. There is no waving of a magic wand. There are only longterm solutions. The issues are not as black and white as people try to categorize them. We rely far too much on political ideology and often lose sight of common sense. But even common sense can't solve the nonsensical actions of the mentally ill or the despondent. I honestly have no idea how to right the ship. With billions of people on the planet, the likelihood of preventing every tragedy like the one that unfolded in Boston today is probably never going to be realistic. But hoping that violence goes away and doesn't land in our backyards is certainly not a solution either. I can only imagine that part of the answer lies in a proactive approach. I would love to have the perfect solution.
Right now, Boston needs time to mourn those who have lost their lives or were injured today. I feel terrible for the families that are dealing with this first hand, especially when young children were involved. Let us not forget that today was also Jackie Robinson day and we can look to him for inspiration on how to look hatred in the eye and not let it get the best of us.
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