Boston Marathon Thoughts

I thought I'd throw some random comments out about the bombing at the Boston Marathon on Monday.  There's nothing ground breaking or particularly insightful to follow, just a few observations.

• Social Media Comes Through:  My friend Andrew and his wife Paige were at the marathon.  Andrew was running and Paige was supporting on this one.  I was working in my office and didn't have the TV on so I had no idea anything had happened until I got an e-mail from my father-in-law with the simple line: "Are Andrew and Paige OK?"  It was an odd question, so I turned on the TV and saw what had happened.  They were showing the blast and I was immediately concerned, primarily for Paige since it looked like the runners were safe on the course but spectators were in harm's way.  My first thought was Facebook.  I'm not a huge social media guy, but I have to admit that as a tool of information and communication it was fantastic in this case.  It couldn't have been more than 20 minutes after the blast and there was already a post from Paige's sister letting everyone know that they were OK.  After talking to Andrew later, I learned that he had finished the race about 15 minutes before the explosions and they had gone into a nearby PF Chang's to eat.  They sheltered-in-place until it was safe for them to leave the area.

• Applying the "Tiger Woods Theory":  Everybody speculates about who is responsible after something like this.  I have absolutely no idea who did it at this point, and nobody else does either, no matter how much they act like they do.  Trust me, if they're not from Quantico or Langley, they're guessing at this point.  My liberal friends seem to think it was probably a Tea Party radical, based on the date and location of the attack.  My conservative friends are pretty convinced it's Islamic terrorists.  Nobody really knows yet, including me.  I can speculate that the bombs weren't particularly powerful, which points to this being either a very small group or an individual effort.  That said, when it comes to terrorist activities (and this was terrorism, regardless of who did it), I always apply what I call the "Tiger Woods Theory".  It's pretty simple:  the premise is that if someone tells you that you have to pick the winner of next week's golf tournament, you ALWAYS go with Tiger Woods!  He may win, he may not.  You really have no idea, but if you HAVE to pick a winner, it should ALWAYS be Tiger based on statistics and common sense.  Following that theory, when it comes to terrorist bombings, always go with Middle Eastern Muslim males between the ages of 18 and 30 until you know different.  It's still a guess, but it's one based on logic and common sense.  Anyone at this point who is speculating anything else is just hoping and rooting for something else (I'm talking to you NPR).

• A final note:  An old classmate of mine posted something on Facebook that I'm going to steal.  Ladye Daniels wrote:  "The point is to make us afraid. Don't let the terrorists win this one. Be ANGRY. Not afraid."  She's exactly right!  Their only weapon is fear (much like the Spanish Inquisition for any Monty Python fans out there).  Not being afraid is important.  I HATE distance running, but if I were EVER going to hit the road for any reason it would be to qualify for Boston next year.  The no fear part is important, but getting angry is equally important.  Americans that want this sort of Kumbaya world where it's all ELE (Everybody Love Everybody) and rainbows are ignorant, and by extension of their voting dangerous.  The world outside of the States does not want us to leave them alone, they want us to not exist in the form that we currently do.  Military strength and resolve will save this country, not placating and compromise.  Anyone that believes differently hasn’t spent much time in the Middle East or Africa.  Ladye lives in Turkey, which is very pleasant and westernized for the region (at least in the western part of the country) and she understands.