In My Orbit: the Boston Marathon Bombers
Digital Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Whose eyes, thoughts, and prayers are not on Boston this evening? The entire city has been on lockdown for almost 24 hours while Boston Police and FBI hunt for the remaining suspect in the terrorist attack on the Boston Marathon that left three dead and over 160 injured. Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Chechen immigrants and radical Muslims, were at large after photos of them were distributed Thursday afternoon. The brothers went on to kill Sean Collier, a 26-year old MIT police officer, then got into a firefight with law enforcement in the wee hours this morning. Tamerlan was severely wounded, and died in the hospital; he is meeting his 72 virgins as we speak. The search for Dzhokhar continues. The closest I have come to being locked into one space for a period of time was after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, when everything in my part of Los Angeles came to a standstill. In the surrounding communities that make up Boston, the police insisted people stay in their homes and not answer the door unless it is law enforcement. I heard reports that during the firefight, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ran over his own brother's body to get away. That is not surprising for this 19-year-old who'd set a bomb near to 8-year-old Martin Richard and his family, knowing the consequences. It sends chills up my spine.
I wrote this post on September 11, 2006, In remembrance of 9-11. I hearken back to it, because the same thoughts rattle through my brain today on the motives behind acts of terror:
"Or perhaps their goal is to push our infrastructures to such a chaotic state, that they grind to a halt? On that front, we are fighting tooth and nail, and may we continue to do so. "Then there’s the aspect of just everyday life. I’m thankful that terrorists plans are being thwarted, but how much does all the news increase people’s fear and suspicion to the point where it immobilizes them to the point where they have altered the way they function, or the way they perceive the wide world?"
Nothing more life-altering than losing a loved one, or having your limbs blown off. Not to mention having your entire city on lockdown. The lost income and revenue from the Marathon carnage and the shut down of entire industries has yet to be calculated, but I'm sure it's considerable. I don't end the above-referenced post with my running thoughts, but with points of hope. If you're inclined, give it a read. People know I'm a newshound, so some friends have asked me for the best sources of information on this unfolding and ever-evolving story. Here's my rundown of where I'm getting my intel. Say what you will about Fox News, they have been doing yeoman's work on their coverage of this, without the ridiculous hypothesizing done by CNN ("dark-skinned") and a few other networks. If you are one of those Fox haters, I say, hold your nose and float over there for detailed, relevant, and informative news. Local Boston Station WCBV is also giving minute-by-minute coverage, and I'm following their tweets on Twitter: @WCBV Buzzfeed's stellar coverage and updates are also worth following. Two of the posts I've been distributing quite a bit today: The Epic, Crazy, Horrifying, Ongoing Story of the Boston Marathon Bombers. What We Know About Boston Marathon Suspects Dzhokhar and Tamerlin Tsarnaev. But even I have to walk away, and I've done just that: to deal with life, to take some moments to count my blessings, and just be thankful. I snuggled with one of my fur babies, went to get a pedicure, and ran some errands to clear out the head space and get some distance from the coverage. Our fellow Americans in Boston do not have that option. As of the last update, the lockdown has been lifted, but Governor Deval Patrick is encouraging all citizens to stay vigilant. I pray this monster is caught quickly for everyone's sake. I do love that Boston's spirit of fight has not been diminished. One friend posted this on Facebook:
I stand with you! UPDATE 04-19-2013 6:06 PST: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was taken into custody, Alive! The Boston Police Department, Watertown Police Department, and other law enforcement did a magnificent job. According to Reuters, three people are being questioned in New Bedford, Massachusetts in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings. Now to find the answers... Sleep well tonight, Boston.