Tragedy and Triumph

Last night, I grieved over a 26 year old security officer who sat innocently in his patrol vehicle as he was "assassinated" by a terrorist. He was totally unaware of impending death. The news reporter said that all he had ever wanted to be was a cop. Having worked with many police officers over the years, the whole thing bothered me greatly. The young man got out of bed, dressed for work, not having any idea that it was his last day on earth. I imagine him pinning his MIT badge on his uniform as he looked in the mirror, then reaching up to straighten his tucked in uniform shirt. It was the last time he would ever do that.

While watching the coverage of the Watertown incident, I ran through the entire Boston bombings and ensuing week's events in my head. Policemen, firemen, EMTS, and civilians fighting to save the lives of those around them in the midst of the chaos of bomb blasts. Police being attacked by explosives as they chased suspects through the streets. And finally a quick phone call by a citizen who amazingly survived after checking his boat and seeing the last suspect...a phone call that caused the entire world to descend on a quiet neighborhood in Massachussetts. The adrenalin, the intensity,the horror, the tragedy and the triumph all rolled into one week.

One thing remains paramount for all of America at this juncture in history: we must work together as well as law enforcement did last night. We must stop polarizing our nation by personal wants and desires,or the need for power and control, and remember that only unity works against evil. We must understand that we have enemies that will stop at nothing to destroy us. America was shaken by the incident in Boston, but it did not destroy us only because the people rose up and refused to be defeated. Cops fought, people fought, and through the tragedy of person loss and broken hearts, they managed to stand hand in hand. We must stand hand in hand as a nation or our enemies win.