Is It Relevant?

Ok - I've tried to step back and not get upset at some of the things that are being bantered about in regards to the terrible tragedy in Boston but try as I might I simply can't. Being silent to me is condoning and I don't believe in enabling such terrible behavior without at least intellectually challenging folks to think about what they are saying instead of just espousing hateful rhetoric.

Let me start with just a simple question.... Is It Relevant?

Is it relevant that the left side of politics did this? Or that the right side of politics did that? What the hell does either side have to do with this really other than that we want a scapegoat to blame for this senseless tragedy and since we don't have one some people decide they need to create one. I'd say it's not relevant. Politicians are politicians on both sides of the coin. Both sides do good and both sides have their less than stellar moments but I would say that's not relevant to what happened yesterday in Boston.

Is it relevant that people lost their lives yesterday? Or that people were injured? YES YES YES! When we turn to nastiness within our country we dishonor these people. I'd be willing to be these people want justice for what happened but justice is about the INDIVIDUALS who planned and execute this attack not about who supports which political party.

Is it relevant to make a comment about how "a Godless person" must be behind this attack? Last time I checked the individuals who flew the planes into the Twin Towers were NOT Godless... they simply didn't believe in the God that most Americans (who are believers) choose to believe in. That does not make them Godless. Don't be hateful to an entire group of people with statements like this. And frankly at the end of the day it's not relevant wether they believe in God or not...

What is relevant is that there are good people and there are bad people in this world. There are good and bad within every political party, race, religion/non-religion, country etc. Generalizing only creates more hate. Creating more hate only lets terrorism win... Why would anyone want to let terrorism win?

Is it relevant that we bond together and honor the fallen, support the wounded and seek to stop senseless acts like this? Again I would say YES! YES YES! How do we do that? Well I personally feel it begins with us becoming UNITED once again instead of so polarized against each other. That's the grand scale but we can each individually start somewhere small...

Are you in the Boston area? There are many stories of people going from the finish line straight to the hospital to donate blood. (Made me tear up literally when I first heard this story.) There are many many stories of people in the Boston area offering shelter to the runners who had no where to say... or offering them drinks/food... or offering them a shoulder to cry on because let's face it didn't we all in some way need one of those yesterday after this horrific event even if we weren't physically in Boston? So follow suit and carry on good deeds in the same fashion as those folks. Of course there's always going to be an option to donate to the wounded and the survivors of the fallen - consider doing that?

As silly as it sounds I do believe in the idea that small acts of solidarity speak volumes and tell the world "We will not be beaten down. We will stand together and support one another! This evil will not be tolerated." Along those lines there is a major movement for folks to wear race apparel today - pull out a race shirt and do that! (Think this kind of thing doesn't make a difference? Think again! Look at how "Go Red for Women's Heart Disease" has become a major movement. And really how many of us see the color pink and don't think about breast cancer awareness?!) The same movement is encouraging people to get out there and run (or walk) and is intended to both honor the victims as well as serve as a display of unity and solidarity in the running community. Think you're not a runner? Have you ever run even 1 mile? Then you ARE a runner! (I mean that truly! You don't have to be a marathoner to be a runner.)  Do you think these small acts of solidarity are relevant? I sure do!

Band together.... Run together... 

Guinness and I will be heading out to run later this afternoon. I know my heart with be heavy with thoughts of Boston but I also know that running will be cathartic in many ways too. I suspect that every person I pass running will increase my hope in our world becoming more united in support of all who are touched by this tragedy. To me.... that's relevant... 

Run on.....