But as we mourn the three who died, hope for the more than 176 injured and wonder why this happened, we can cling to this: Americans, however embattled over politics, sports or whatever, stand up and show their heart and courage during times like these.
The first videos show the courage of bystanders who crashed barricades to reach the injured. Belts and clothing came off to fashion tourniquets to keep victims alive. One enduring image was of Carlos Arredondo and two others, pushing Jeff Bauman who’d lost both legs, in a wheelchair toward an ambulance. Arredondo was there to see a race but became a hero, running toward the wounded immediately.
As many as 4,000 Bostonians showed their heart by putting personal information on the Web, offering their homes to stranded visitors, some from outside the country, and other aid to victims and their families.
We live in a free society and generally live and let live. But it’s our responsibility to be aware and say something if we see something. Complacency is an enemy when it comes to terror attacks because so few are carried out. It’s a low-probability, high-consequence scenario that demands our continued attention.
Again, we are reminded that we must stay vigilant, that evil only has to prevail once to cause great harm, and that we can’t give in. No terror act, whether it originated from domestic or foreign sources, will ever diminish the heart and spirit of Americans.
