The Extra Mile

“Whoever did this obviously did not know shit about Boston, because nothing these terrorists do is gonna shake them. For Pete’s sake, Boston was founded by the Pilgrims, a people so tough they had to buckle their hats on. It is the cradle of the American revolution…it’s the hometown of Aerosmith who, on their fifth decade, are still going strong. Here’s what these cowards really don’t get. They attacked the Boston marathon, an event celebrating people who run twenty-six miles on their day off…for fun. And when those bombs went off, there were runners who, after finishing the marathon, kept running another two miles to the hospital to donate blood. These maniacs have tried to make life bad for the people of Boston, but all they can ever do is show just how good these people are.” –Stephen Colbert

If ever there was an event that it seemed inappropriate to be positive about, it’s the senseless killing of innocent people. So at first, it appears as though I shouldn’t write a post about the Boston marathon. However, there are some positive aspects to this tragedy and I think it deserves some recognition.

People could have reacted to the events that occurred in fear and anger, lashing out in retaliatory violence and hate. And although some people may have, that was not the general reaction of the masses. As Stephen Colbert pointed out on his show on Tuesday, all the people who set off the bombs succeeded in doing was showing how good the people of Boston are. People today seem to be convinced that American society has gone down the drain, that people aren’t as good as they used to be. The marathoners had just completed one of the most physically exhaustive competitive tasks possible and could have very understandably collapsed somewhere at the end and not gotten up for several hours. Instead, they continued running an extra distance to help people in dire need.

The positive reaction didn’t end with people who were actually at the race, however. There was also an outpouring of support on Facebook, with multiple photos and text posts circulating asking people to pray for the victims, the families, the bombers, and everyone involved. Multiple popular media personalities also paid tribute to the event, including Stephen Colbert. America as a nation came together to follow the manhunt, spread the word about everything that was going on, and offer prayers and support for the entire affected community.

Three lost lives and over a hundred injuries is nothing to smile about and definitely not a generally “positive” thing. However, there is more to positivity than just being happy. Positivity can also mean seeing the good in a situation that doesn’t at first appear good. With that definition in mind, a lot of positivity came out of the bombing of the Boston marathon. The brave men and women who volunteered their time and action, the first responders, and the brave runners who donated blood all went the extra mile (literally or metaphorically) to help others. They deserve recognition for the deeds they performed and this recognition should not be clouded over by negativity.