The Boston Marathon Tragedy

Abstract

How shocking and sad! Patriots Day—April 15, 2013—Boston blasted into the US history books as terrorists strike the Boston Marathon! An event that celebrates the physical training and conditioning of thousands of dedicated athletes, young and old, attacked by those intending to harm Americans and American life. Several dead, including an 8-year-old boy who just wanted to see his dad run the marathon, a foreign graduate student, and a young mom. Many more were maimed by flying shrapnel from pressure-cooker bombs. What a horrific scene: celebration turned into tragedy and carnage. Boston emergency rooms were turned into warzone trauma units as the injured were triaged and mangled limbs were amputated. Imagine going to Boston to run a marathon and coming home without your leg! A devastating and difficult experience to accept. How could this happen? A great celebration turned into a nightmare. I won’t soon forget that round-the-clock news coverage of the FBI, ATF, and police as they zeroed in on the perpetrators. Several intense sobering days were spent wondering who could have done this. The last scene played out from Friday to Saturday, when the murderous car chase began and shackled the entire Boston area in lockdown. The great pride of the people of Boston showed through as suspect number 2 was taken into custody after a hail of gunfire around a stored boat in a backyard. The sigh of relief was visible on the face of Boston that night, as many hoped and prayed that the tragedy was truly over. We’d like to believe it is over, but many questions remain unanswered. No doubt law enforcement interrogation units will gain insight into the how and why. Unfortunately, the answers to these possibilities may force many changes in the American sports scene as our vulnerability as a free society leaves us exposed. Thankfully, most sporting events at arenas and stadiums offer better options for screening the public because these venues are enclosed. Nobody likes the purse checks, the restriction on beverage containers, or the pat-downs. We can now expect more of this, and hopefully the added security will be worth every inconvenience. Unfortunately, open events like marathons are a much more difficult challenge for security personnel because of the open access to these events and the difficulty of monitoring such large areas and routes. No doubt the role of video monitoring and police dogs will grow in the near future. What other monitoring technologies will be developed and employed to keep these venues safe is a hot research topic. Video computer programs to spot unusual or suspicious behavior are already being employed. Sure, some people will resent these intrusions into public and private life, but these measures are here to stay. Only time will tell whether open-access athletic events can be kept safe. Law enforcement will probably struggle with sporting events just as it struggles to protect mass transit, airports, and other areas that draw large crowds. There is little doubt that the hunt for future perpetrators within our borders will be intensified as law enforcement attempts to blunt these nightmares before they begin. The “Big Brother” monitoring of cell phones and the Internet will once again be resisted by many as lawsuits and court battles ensue. How vigorously the civil liberty forces will resist these intrusions and where the courts draw the permissible line remain to be seen. Most importantly, I hope the Boston tragedy doesn’t dampen the spirit of athletic competition and deter athletes from classic events like the nation’s marathons. If that happens, it would be a terrible shame and a victory for those who wish to hurt America. I don’t think the majority of Americans want to see our sports-minded culture restricted, but I also realize that a repeat of Boston at a similar event in the near future would certainly provide a chilling effect and no doubt affect the decision making of many. As we remember those who lost their lives in Boston and the many who were injured, I hope we can be reminded of the 78-year-old man who was near the finish line when the bombs went off; he was knocked to the pavement, helped up by those around him, and continued on his way. What great symbolism! We can’t allow terrorist threats and actions to affect our culture. I hope that elderly gentleman represents the resilience of the American public and the refusal to change our way of life, including sports competition.