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After the horrendous Boson Marathon terrorist attack, we are again reminded that no matter what measures we take as a nation to stem attacks we are still vulnerable. Unlike after 9/11, Americans will unite around Boston and the marathon will come back next year bigger and better than ever. Unfortunately it will likely never be the same. Next year’s marathon will be an incredible event with interest and participation at an all-time high. As goes with the territory, security will also be incredibly tight.
The outpouring of support and the heroic behavior of those coming to the aid of the victims is yet another example of the classic American spirit. We have an amazing resolve as a nation and how we act and our reaction this week is indicative of that spirit. It is our best quality.
Unfortunately in times like this some of our worst qualities also come out. One example is the overwhelming need of many to treat such incidents as a political football. It’s a funny game we play during moments like this. As a nation we are so quick to not “rush to judgment” while at the same time many on the left are extremely quick to find a “right-wing connection”. Much like what occurred after the tragic Tucson and Aurora shootings, many on the left cannot resist the urge to find some kind of connection to right wing thought or groups like the Tea Party. It’s an odd connection we make, literally trying to find tyranny in those who believe in liberty.
President Obama led the way with his initial refusal to call the obvious bombing an act of terrorism. Almost at the same time CNN employed a talking head Peter Bergen made the absurd claim that depending on the type of bomb construction the perpetrator could be “al Qaeda or a right-wing terrorist group.” Two days later the CNN website published an article that went into great deal on the pressure-cooker bombs used in the blast and said they are a ‘signature’ of right wing extremists.
From the article:
“A senior U.S. counterterrorism investigator told CNN that pressure-cooker bombs have also been a signature of extreme right-wing individuals in the United States who he said tend to revel in building homemade bombs.”
The article goes on to discuss the construction of pressure-cooker bombs, used so many times in attacks in the Middle East that there was actually a article in the al Qaeda magazine that gave a tell how on how to construct them. The connection to the mysterious “right-wing terrorists” was based on the Eric Rudolph Olympic Park bombing where a pipe bomb was used. There are absolutely no examples of American right-wing use of such weapons, whereas there are a myriad of examples of these weapons being used in Pakistan and Iraq and targeted for use in 2010 foiled Times Square attack (Faizal Shahzad) and the foiled 2011 Ford Hood attack (Naser Abdo). Both of those foiled attacks resulted in foreign terrorists being arrested plotting attacks on US soil, similar to Boston, using the same technology as Boston. Yet, the cable outlet that represents the MSM can’t help but find a mystical connection to the “right wing” of America. This coverage, on MSNBC, has reached such absurd levels that there viewership is literally tanking during the coverage period of the terrorist event.
So quick to not call the event a “terrorist attack” the MSM literally falls all over themselves in the attempt to find an American right wing bogeyman. Unfortunately the game of political football does not end there. The second most popular game is the thirst for lefty politicians to somehow connect the horrible event to the recent sequesters controversy. For the left every event is part of a bigger political story, and Steny Hoyer, the house minority whip, tied the bombings to the sequester with the tragic event less than 24-hours old.
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), speaking to reporters Tuesday morning, said the bombings are “clearly another place where it demonstrates why having the ability to address security concerns is important.”
Yes, of course they are Steny, we agree. Unfortunately your timing couldn’t be worse, but is not surprising in the least. For many in the Democratic Party, everything is politics, and every opportunity is an immediate need to connect events to a bigger failure on the part of government to act.
In the refusal to “rush to judgment” we get an immediate need for those on the left to rush to their own judgment. Of course their own judgment is an insatiable need to somehow tie such events to their own bias’s regarding their political opponents.
Many have said we have lost some of our freedoms after 9/11, however, I believe we have found a way to reach out to one another because of those freedoms. President Bush was an authoritarian figure after 9/11, most had felt the same after seeing him in New York, his power and command of the state of affairs was masterful, he was completely in control and we all seem to know it.
We will have leaders once more that will rise and assure our freedoms and lead us once again, I am sure of it.
Boston will guide us on one more passageway. We as a nation will find a way to reach out to what matters to us in our lives. We will remember our freedoms which are envied and coveted by those who do not have them, our family, and our liberty will once again remind us of those who have fought so hard for us to keep them. We will manage to hold one another a little closer, reassure and console our families and friends, we will remember who we were before the attack and confront those who choose to hide and strike out at our freedoms. We will heal as we have always done and as we rise and rebuild and unite against them, our cities will come together, yours and mine and we will move forward, again.
It’s just our nature. If only we could say the same of our elected officials.
Carlos Arredondo, the “inspirational anti-war protester whose soldier son died in Iraq and another took his own life is being hailed a hero after he selflessly rushed to help victims of the Boston Marathon bombings seconds after the attacks.” …
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2309762/Boston-Marathon-bomb-explosions-How-hero-Carlos-Arredondo-lost-soldier-son-Iraq-saved-lives.
First of all, Katherine, your second sentence: “Unlike after 9/11…” Do you really seem to remember Americans not coming together in the aftermath of those attacks?
And I don’t understand everybody’s obsession with whether or not to use the word “terrorism.” You seem to link the (alleged) reluctance to use that word to an eagerness to blame the attacks on domestic righties. I just don’t understand the connection there. It would be “terrorism” either way, wouldn’t it?
She also conveniently leaves out how Obama was pilloried in the right wing press for not using the word “terrorism” in his first statement, a mere 3 hours after the explosions.
In America post 9/11, terrorism is a loaded word…the President was wise to withhold use of it in his first statement.
Vern, after 9/11 the same disparaging comments were from the extreme left and the extreme right. However, most Patriotic Americans came together to mend one anothers spirits. Again, the same political inuendo were verbalized in the Boston bombings and many of the same politicians and hate mongers are speaking with similar derogatory language in order to politicize these events.
The two boys and I do mean “boys” were granted citizenship in 2004 from Chechen, “I don’t understand them,” bombing suspect said of Americans” (foxnews.com/us/2013/04/19/)
Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his younger brother Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev.
“Both brothers had YouTube channels in the United States and in Russia. Emerson’s group reviewed about half of the 22 videos posted on the U.S. channel. The videos were viewed by a small number of people. One video received 5,000 views, another just 1,000 views. Based on the content of the videos, which feature Bin Laden, calls to kill Americans, Jews, Christians and exhortations to establish a world-wide caliphate, it is clear that these message are not directed just at Chechens.” “They are directed primarily against all non-Muslims and are very similar to the Al Qaeda videos we’ve seen in years past.”
(foxnews.com/opinion/2013/04/19/boston-terror-suspects-islamic-terrorists-not-chechen-separatists)
I am not reluctant to use the term “Terrorists ” , these boys are terrorists. The best definition that I have read is the “violence that is committed to intimidate a population or coerce a government or international organization in the name of a political, religious or ideological purpose.” So, what these two young men have done is simple, they had terrorized the people of the United States of America.
Sure, the brothers are terrorists. I’m not sure who in the world is “reluctant” to call them that.
And I also don’t know who refused to unite after 9/11. I remember that time pretty well. Now you’re saying “extreme left” and “extreme right.” Well, that could be true. Are you talking about people like Ward Churchill who was pretty much unheard of until righties really searched hard for unpatriotic lefties? I don’t think him or his putative rightie compatriots are worthy of mention in a story. We were all pretty united. As we are now.
I had forgotten about Warren Churchill, should have never been a professor, an Ideologue at best.
It was TERRORISM no matter the actors or motivation.
Yeah? I’d say so. What’s your point?
Depends on when you’re using the word. When an explosion happens in a public place, are you in the habit of labeling it terrorism 10 minutes after it happens?
Under the circumstances — two closely spaced bombs apparently packed with ball bearings and such going off within seconds at the finish line a major sporting event — I have no difficulty reaching the provisional conclusion that it was an attempt to terrorize people. That makes it terrorism. I think it’s better to argue about something else.
When did you reach that provisional conclusion? The moment you heard explosions had happened? When you saw the video?
I know I was driving and heard it on the radio…that there had been two explosions at the Boston Marathon. You’re saying at that moment it would have been legitimate for me to provisionally conclude that it was terrorism?
Yes, and as long as our politicians and news organization are afraid to use the label Terrorist or believe they have the same rights as a US citizen, then it is difficult to defend those rights to freedom.
We as the U.S. do not recognize this term so easily. I personally believe this is true because we are a peaceful nation, freedoms not allowed most people in other countries, we have rights as free people to define 10 minutes after an event that we recognize as not something we are accustom to seeing in our everyday lives
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Well those are all insights that are easy to spout at this point, now that you know so much about the perpetrators. Very easy at this point.
These insights would be MUCH more speculative 10 minutes after the event.
Go Mommy!!! My mom is a very well seasoned and intelligent professional, all the up to date and accurate facts are incorperated in her blogs. Read, get informed, and keep following!
Patriots days has always been a significant day representing our American Hystory specifically our victory in the Revolutionary war initiating our independance from the Kindom of Great Britian. The Boston city bombing has added another impressionable event in our hystory bringing American together once again. Like 911 Americans have banned together against the war on terror, the Boston city bombing has only made us stronger as a country, we are ready once again to win!!
May those who lost lives or familiy memebers recieve our payers
These two boys are terrorists similar in nature to McVeigh. While McVeigh was a “home-grown” terrorists and subscribed to theories about government conspiracies these two boys had heavy influences from the extremist-Muslim movement. The part of the world these boys came from see large amounts of movements of Muslim people into and out of their country-it is of no surprise that they would come in contact with Anti-American sentiment from followers of Bin Laden. Since these boys are US citizens REGARDLESS of political preferences they should be tried as civilians. McVeigh was given his right to a civilian trial even though he targeted a federal government building with a VBIED. He was tried and convicted and put to death for his actions. This boy as reprehensible as his actions were should be given the same considerations since he’s a full citizen. Put your political agenda’s and bullshit aside. Let the nation heal and come together as it did during the months following 9-11, let the wheels of justice turn and stop attacking one another. We’re all American’s learn to live and respect each other or get the hell out.