Editorial: America’s character shown in wake of Boston Marathon

Two explosions riveted Boylston Street in Boston on Monday. The Boston Marathon, in its 117th year, witnessed a calamity.

Just three hours after the first marathoners crossed the finish line, as runners prepared for the last few strides of the race, an ear-ringing explosion rocked the finish-line area. Staffers, runners and bystanders were shocked to see smoke billowing from the sidewalk opposite the bleachers near the course finish line. As everyone came to their senses, a second explosive device detonated, sending a shockwave reverberating through the streets of Boston.

These two explosions took the lives of three individuals as of Tuesday, including an 8-year-old boy. Hundreds more were injured, with a portion of those in critical condition.

As police sirens and cries of agony echoed, smoke filled the finish-line area while first responders tended to grounded runners and injured members of the crowd. The scene was an unexpected juxtaposition to say the least.

In the wake of such a tragedy, Boston responded. Aside from the brave and dutiful police officers and respondents at the scene, homes across Boston opened their doors to participants of the marathon and provided sustenance, clothes and solace. Even unaffected participants of the marathon began to run to nearby medical centers to donate blood to those who needed it. The effort was widespread.

The great sporting event saw an unexpected outcome: A nation pulling behind the injured and displaced, instilling faith into humanity and staying strong in the face of such adversity. The actions of local communities, families and runners to help mend this heinous act was truly remarkable.

The occurrences at Monday’s Boston Marathon highlighted the character of our country.

We were not willing to allow these acts of terror to deliberate our lives or diminish our perseverance. The nation reacted immediately, providing reverence coupled with acts of assistance and kindness. Google, for instance, implemented a spreadsheet and people-finding tool that encompassed a database through which folks could report contact information and status updates of the runners impacted by the blasts. Google’s help exponentially improved communication between those at the scene and their families and friends.

In addition, spectators at the event were also some of the first responders to the scene. Supplementary to EMT personnel and police officials, bystanders, priests and even a handful of celebrities aided the wounded, stood against the devastation and proved why our nation perseveres against acts of terror.

Essentially, the response to the acts did not weaken America, it strengthened it. In the face of such adversity and heartbreak, we, as a nation, turned to the faith we had in each other. We condoled and mended the hearts of hundreds of affected families. And humanity responded instantaneously, showing compassion, caring and willingness to help.

This is the response that should set an example for the future. In similar cases that adversity may unexpectedly fall upon us, we must act in a way that promotes solidarity, rather than defeat. These acts are detrimental to those affected, but we cannot let acts of terror affect the vast majority of our nation. Instead, we must realize that we outweigh the opposition in spirit, and we always will.

We will never forget yesterday’s events at the Boston Marathon for highlighting the fact that our nation will not succumb to terror. We will not be governed by it. No act of terrorism is enough to affect the strong, unyielding character of not only Boston, but our nation.