As we write, at least three people have been confirmed dead after bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston marathon just before 3 p.m. Monday. Nearly 150 others were injured. Some lost limbs. Shattered glass coated the sidewalk. Runners and spectators near the site of detonation recall the smell of blood and gunpowder.
Multiple University students, faculty and staff participated in the Massachusetts race. Mark Hampton, the Curry School’s senior associate dean for administration, finished the marathon about an hour before the bombs went off. The handful of University students in Boston for the race, as well as other faculty and staff members, also escaped harm.
Monday’s deadly explosions occurred around 2:50 p.m. — nearly five hours after the first wave of runners began the marathon. Top-ranked runners tend to finish Boston’s 26.2-mile course in less than three hours. The timing makes it seem likely that whoever orchestrated the explosions sought to target amateur marathon runners rather than elite athletes. The likelihood of such an aim was only one distressing aspect of a horrific afternoon. Another disquieting feature of Monday’s tragedy was the way in which the attack spotlighted the vulnerability of marathons, particularly in light of the upcoming London race. Though one can achieve a high degree of security for athletic events enclosed in a stadium, a 26.2-mile contest can never be made entirely safe. The openness of the event makes explosives a threat that is difficult to combat.
Long-distance running is an admirable feat of human will and endurance. Monday’s carnage tested the endurance of Bostonians in manifold ways. Instances of heroism occurred alongside the marathon’s panic-inducing events. Police officers and medical personnel dutifully rose to the high-pressure occasion. Police officials discovered other explosive devices nearby and detonated at least one in a controlled explosion. Rescue workers guided sweaty, exhausted runners and panicked spectators into safe locations. Civilians, too, demonstrated courage. Runners tended to injured competitors, and government officials worked quickly to promote hotlines and issue public statements — such as the crisis hotline U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius pushed on Twitter, or the prompt press conference President Barack Obama held.
The bombings also drew the country’s attention to Boston. People across the world, but especially in the U.S., expressed solidarity with people affected by the attack. Online shows of support may take minimal effort. But such activity should not be discounted. Widespread expressions of concern following the explosions suggest deeper wells of social sympathy than some might have guessed.
We, at The Cavalier Daily, express sympathy to members of the University community who may be affected by Monday’s tragedy. For those who would like assistance during this difficult time, we urge you to seek help through Counseling and Psychological Services. In the meantime, our thoughts rest with Boston.
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