Boston Marathon Bombers

April 20. 2013. On Monday in Amsterdam, two men planted a bomb at the Boston Marathon.  I was traveling in Europe at the time and could only observe what everyone back at home was experiencing through the eyes (biased??) of the internet.  I probably felt more disturbed than those in the thick of it because I could not be home with my loved ones.  I awoke in Milan on Friday morning to see that the two men had gone on a crime rampage and the entire city of Boston had gone into a 'shut-down' mode.  There were no buses, no trains, no subway.  Boston turned into an unprecedented ghost town while two brothers originating from Chechnya, which even I didn't know was near Russia, terrorized Cambridge and Watertown. I checked the web at least three times an hour to see if any more carnage had ensued.  A few hours into the crisis, Northeastern went into lock down mode so that all classes were canceled, including finals, and the university was officially closed.  Businesses across the city were asked to keep closed for the day.  I can't even imagine an entire city being shut down. 

When the youngest of the brothers was caught (the older died before being captured), the city erupted into a spontaneous party.  I'm sure it was even more exciting than when the Red Sox won the world series or when Obama won the election the first time, both events that I was in town to experience.  Here is a picture of a party near Northeastern.

One thing I to say is that I don't understand these type of people who feel that violence, particularly to innocent bystanders, is the way to convey a message.  Much to Boston's credit, fear has never been an option in which to hide from.  The city was created based on the fearlessness of a few men who stood up against a monarchy who didn't care about the individual.  So it will take much more than two cowards to topple over this town.  Instead, I know that the people of Boston will be stronger and will look out for each other even more than before this violence.  So maybe it is not good to call this event senseless, because it has awakened our senses on how important our friends and family really are to us and how we can be united as a community.  B Strong Everyone, not just Boston!