No more hurting people.
So read a sign created by 8-year-old Martin Richard just one year ago, blue and proudly decorated, with one more word visibly apparent.
Peace.
A year later, he and two others will be laid to rest in said peace, the victims of senseless, appalling actions.
On Monday, our nation was struck by yet another horrific tragedy as an unidentified assailant detonated two makeshift bombs in the large crowds of spectators near the last straight of the Boston Marathon.
The sounds, scenes and stories from these acts of terror have touched the very American core once more, as citizens – regardless of their placement throughout the geographic United States – sent their love, prayers and support to the city of Boston.
In a way reminiscent to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, to the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy, to the Aurora Theater shootings and to countless other recent American wounds, the world slowed and tuned in as, one by one, reports came flooding in.
Primary reports indicated only several injuries, prompting news analysts and political consultants in the media to unintentionally downplay the situation by noting “how much worse it could have been.”
Today, with three reported deaths as a result of these shrapnel inducing devices, and almost 150 related injuries to boot, I quietly hoped that these media-affiliated broadcasters would be eating their words.
Then, I caught myself. I had actually hoped that.
What’s interesting about situations like this – where fear surmounts and national heartache remains evident – is that while the authorities search for those responsible, individuals always search for a personal scapegoat or punching bag. I’m no different – I focused on the media. Admittedly, when CNN and other newsrooms wrongly reported that an arrest had been made in this case, I made an audible growl.
But others have attacked President Obama, calling him “weak” for not immediately condemning the actions as acts of terror while still others returned immediately to their somewhat racist roots of hatred against the Middle East and the religion of Islam. WordNetDaily columnist Erik Rush, for instance, tweeted quite publicly, “Everybody do the National Security Ankle Grab! Let’s bring more Saudis in without screening them! C’mon! #bostonmarathon.”
It’s a normal coping mechanism, searching for someone to blame, stemming from the normal human necessity for exact definition and knowledge. The unknown scares us.
Regardless, this and the partisan bickering coming out of this tragedy must stop.
For one minute, all camps need to set aside their agendas. No more talk of gun control, of immigration, of religious extremism.
You see, strength doesn’t necessarily mean not showing weakness, but weakness will always mean not showing your strengths.
This is the challenge that has been laid before us, at our feet, at the hands of a travesty.
It’s a challenge not to refrain from publicizing our emotion or pain, but to display our collective strengths as an American people.
If we don’t join together as we did in the aftermath of 9/11 as a communal body in the pursuit of peace, our weaknesses will continue to show but, more importantly, our strengths will be lost.
Let’s take a minute and remember what Martin said. Halt your offensive words, put aside you differences and come together again as brothers and sisters. Come together again as Americans. Come together again as humans.
No more hurting people. Peace.
Maxton Thoman is a freshman majoring in biology. His column runs weekly on Mondays.
