The tragic events at the Boston Marathon Monday shook the entire nation and the world. The marathon, which runs every year on a state holiday, brings tens of thousands of people together in the city to cheer on their friends and family.
Runners travel from all over the world to participate in one of the largest marathon events, but tragically, the explosions near the finish line claimed three lives and injured more than 130 people.
This event particularly hits home for me because I am from the area. However, people throughout the nation are reaching out and expressing compassion for the victims. The attack is an example of malevolence but also of how people form camaraderie in the midst of devastation and will selflessly do whatever possible to help others in need.
In video footage played repeatedly on the news, you will see many courageous individuals, like the Boston police acting heroically and risking their own to save the lives of strangers. This is a part of their responsibility to serve and protect the city, but the instinct to do so with no hesitation or concern for their own safety shows how devoted they are to their jobs.
Many civilians in the city also showed selflessness in their immediate outreach to aid injured victims. The Red Cross reported it had enough blood donated by volunteers to meet demand after numerous runners who had just completed the 26.2-mile run, among others, rushed to the hospitals to donate blood to help those who had been hurt. The fact that the Red Cross received enough blood so quickly shows the drive so many people have to help others in the face of an imposing threat.
In addition, the people who worked at the rest stations, race officials and volunteers also stayed in an area of high risk, corralling runners and injured people to get them to a safe area are courageous and examples of ordinary individuals doing extraordinary things. By placing the needs of those who were injured before their own showed exceptional citizenship and amid Monday’s senseless violence, we can be proud of them.
While these types of attacks often discourage our faith in humanity, hope should be instilled when see the community coming together to help the injured before thinking of themselves. Support from around the nation is already showing for Boston and all those who were affected by this attack.
While there are horrible people out there, we are a nation full of people devoted to protecting and aiding the safety of others.