Silence for Boston

I am beyond saddened and dumbfounded. My first thought was, “Why?” As my co-workers and I were discussing the explosion, we all couldn’t help but remember 9/11 and where we were when we got that news. It’s deplorable and sad, no doubt about it, but I refuse to give up on humanity. I have no doubt that our nation will pull together once again, as we did during the sadness of 9/11. 

No one knows who is behind this yet and I refuse to make any assumptions. Regardless of who it was, they are one speck of the human race that somehow and someway managed to take the wrong path. What they don’t know is that while we are all shocked and mad that we lost innocent people, they have only reminded us that we are a nation united. Already, we are all pulling together and we are helping in whichever way each of us knows how.

I was speaking with a friend of mine, when he read a post from a well-known comedian regarding his take on the Boston Marathon explosion. I was immediately impressed with the thought and the sincerity behind the post and I would like to share with everyone. I hope it speaks to all of you, as it did to me.

“I remember, when 9/11 went down, my reaction was, ‘Well, I’ve had it with humanity.’

But I was wrong. I don’t know what’s going to be revealed to be behind all of this mayhem. One human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths.

But here’s what I DO know. If it’s one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out. (Thanks FAKE Gallery founder and owner Paul Kozlowski for pointing this out to me). This is a giant planet and we’re lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in awhile, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they’re pointed towards darkness.

But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We’d have eaten ourselves alive long ago.

So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, ‘The good outnumber you, and we always will.'” -Patton Oswalt

Very, very well said. Once more, my heart and prayers go to every single person affected by this – runners, family members, first responders, volunteers, supportive community members. From across the nation, my heart is with you and yours.