'Profound sadness and great resolve after yesterday's attacks'
tweeted by, George Takei ?@GeorgeTakei 13m
Why I feel both profound sadness and great resolve after yesterday's attacks.
My thoughts on Boston, the marathon and our cherished liberties in the wake of these horrific attacks
___ When I first saw the terrible images from the bombings at the Boston Marathon. I couldn’t help but be struck by a profound sadness. But it was nearly immediately followed by an even more profound sense of resolve.
The marathon commemorates, as the legend goes, an epic run by a Greek messenger to inform leaders of the world’s first democracy that its enemies had been defeated. To strike at such an event, targeting bystanders whose only thought was joy at seeing their loved ones cross the finish line, was to aim at ideals we as a modern society stand for: community, healthy competition, and the triumph of the human mind and body.
I am a marathoner myself, having run with an LGBT group called Frontrunners. In fact, I credit it with how I met my husband Brad, who was himself once quite the accomplished runner. Anyone who has attempted to complete a marathon knows what dedication and training, along with tenacity of spirit, is required. But I also understand why so many feel drawn by the challenge of those 26.2 miles: One never feels quite as free as when crossing beyond one’s presumed physical limit.
Further, too, was I struck by the thought of Boston under attack. Boston! The birthplace of American liberty and independence, the town that gave us John, Abigail and Samuel Adams, as well as John, Robert and Ted Kennedy. It’s home to some of America’s oldest and most prestigious universities, and boasts some of its mightiest athletic franchises. And on this day, on what is known as Patriot’s Day, the third Monday in April, Boston opened its doors to athletes from all corners of the world to compete in the world’s oldest annual running tradition. Someone chose Monday to try and slam that door shut, to terrorize and divide us right where and when we had chosen to celebrate and come together.
Americans have been blessed to live in a society where we can assemble peaceably and without fear. It is a cherished way of life that we hold dear and, too often, take for granted. Attacks such as these put our liberties to the test. But whether this newest threat came from without or within, whether the perpetrators are an organized network or a handful on the lunatic fringe, what I do know is this: Like marathoners, Bostonians are a tough and resilient people accustomed to overcoming obstacles. They don’t take anything lying down. You don’t mess with Boston.
–GT
