On Monday, April 15, two bombs exploded at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring over 200. Many deemed this a tragedy. The same day, over 100 Syrians lost their lives due to the violence of their war torn country. Tragedy is all around us. Violence occurs everywhere.
Tragedy. Mass attacks. Terrorism.
We, the American people, have come to fear these words.
These words have been so stretched and strained from their original definition. We gather around their television waiting while the same information is contextualized hundreds of different ways.
After all of the horrible events we have seen this last year, all these situations are handled incorrectly.
The attempt to timely inform the public has the potential to turn horrible incidents into glorified American tragedies. When this happens, the media teaches the world that the perpetrators of such crimes go down in history as infamous killers — a title that serves to much undeserved attention. Further, victims relive every vivid moment, never able to heal.
After the latest tragedy becomes stale, the horrific details linger.
Given the circumstance, the police and the people of Boston handled the situation correctly and kept it from becoming a commotion. By shutting down the city and capturing the suspect within 48 hours, Boston told the world that violence will not be tolerated.
Let justice be done by the law, not by the gossip around our dinner tables or the speculation around our television sets.
There’s no point in glorying an already traumatic event. It’s time for change.