We wake this morning in the wake of yesterday’s events in
Boston with a choice; do we focus on the dark of the situation or the light? We
can focus on who the bombers were, what their motives were giving the perpetrators
exactly what they want… attention. The press is certainly doing that in spades.
Or do we concentrate on the victims and the heroes of the day? I choose the
latter.
There are scores of heroes who stepped up yesterday in the
aftermath of the explosions. The typical first responders; EMTs, Police, Fire
& OEM immediately went to work clearing the area, treating the victims and,
looking for evidence. Race volunteers bought bandages and wheelchairs to the
victims and those treating them. The medical tents set up to aid runners at the
conclusion of their races turned into triage facilities. Many of those
participating in the race who couldn't reach the official finish line due to
the attack, created a new finish line; the local hospitals where they donated
blood for the victims. As a BU alum, I was proud to see one of our own athletic
trainers, Larry Venis, who ran toward the blast area to help those in need.
And of course there are the victims; the 3 dead, 176 injured
and their friends & families. Families have been forever torn apart and
many lives changed. May we celebrate the bright lights now dimmed. Especially Martin
Richard, the 8 year old little boy, whose last innocent acts were eating an ice
cream while watching his dad run the marathon. May the injured heal quickly and
find joy in their lives once again. My prayers are with you all.
Note: I wasn't at the Marathon yesterday; I don’t live in
the area so I don’t have any potential information that could help the police. For
what little help I can give are prayers and sharing & re-tweeting messages
from police and OEM; I will. To that end here is some of the information the
police put out:
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From MEMA: The FBI has set-up 1-800-CALL-FBI
(1-800-225-5324), prompt #3, for anyone who has information re: Boston Marathon
explosions.
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To find family & friends involved in the
Marathon call 617-635-4500
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Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is
posting updates on its website: http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/
I’ll leave the investigating to the authorities and hope
they can do so quickly and without a lot of interference.