What happened at the Boston Marathon? Certainly, events like Monday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon finish line – which has reportedly killed three and injured nearly 150 by the latest numbers – has evoked its share of very emotional statements. Some are completely irrational; others are just very passionate but reasoned. Still others, especially be area and national media, are given in context of where we are in our society and our culture, as well as our history. Here, we compile a few opinions from around the media so you can understand and grasp the effect this event had not just on individuals, but on the Bostonian and national communities.
Remember Boston Marathon bombing next time you’re waiting in line
“No more complaints, please. No more gripes when you’re standing in line outside a game. … No more whining about having to wait 10 minutes for security frisking or wand-waving at a major sports event in the United States. No more grumbling about possibly missing a kickoff or tipoff. … The awfulness of Monday’s event at the Boston Marathon finish line will take awhile to process, to sort out and analyze thoroughly. But we do know this much: If any sports entity in our country was deciding whether to decrease its security budget and save a few bucks, that choice has now become very easy.”
This time, social media users showed some restraint
“Social media are no longer a novelty when it comes to breaking news, which can be a blessing and a curse. … Mostly a blessing, mind you. Facebook and especially Twitter can provide on-the-ground reporting with an immediacy once unthinkable. They can also deliver rumors and false information in the time it takes to type 140 characters on a smartphone. … The horrific explosions at the Boston Marathon on Monday provided examples of both. But they also provided one of the first times I’ve seen the crowd on Twitter rise up together against false reports, to warn against being first at the expense of being right.”
Big data could uncover clue on marathon
“The explosions in Boston represent a terrible, random and deadly act. I am sure that all Americans, but especially Bostonians, are approaching today with a knot of fear and apprehension. Acting swiftly, the authorities are conducting interviews, sophisticated chemical forensics and other investigative techniques. But one factor today that was in its infancy in 1996 in Atlanta will dramatically assist the investigation: the video revolution.”
“Whoever was behind yesterday’s attack killed a few, wounded scores, and scared millions. There’s a term for this: asymmetrical warfare. An opponent with inferior resources, manpower, and technology can nevertheless inflict disproportionate damage on an enemy. The ultimate example of this concept, of course, was September 11, 2001, when 19 hijackers spending just $500,000 — well, you know what they did. But the true impact the 9/11 hijackers had went far beyond the physical damage they inflicted that day. September 11 caused us to burn through trillions on the two longest wars in our history, vastly expand our national security and intelligence bureaucracy, and give up a portion of our civil liberties.”
Some more opinions on what happened at the Boston Marathon:
