The big news last week was the Boston Marathon bombing in which four (including the MIT police officer who was shot) were killed and hundreds injured. I have become almost numbed by the news of terrorists bombings in other parts of the world, especially in the Middle East, because this form of violence has become commonplace. But I take notice when it happens in my backyard, and I kept watching the footage on television - that old runner about to cross the finish line as he was knocked off his feet by the explosion, who then got up and finished the race - as I would stare at a train wreck. I had the same feelings of outrage that I had when the Newton massacre happened recently. This violent act is of course a little different, and the latest speculation is that two brothers involved, who had the audacity to call themselves Americans, were making a political statement. Much has been made of the fact that the older brother, perhaps the ringleader, had recently spent six months abroad in Chechnya. There is much speculation that while off the radar in Chechnya he may have become radicalized and that now Russia is exporting its own brand of jihad terrorism to the United States. When I learned he was dead I assumed it was at the hands of American law enforcement, and was surprised to learn that, though he was badly wounded, he was actually killed by his younger brother, who ran over him with the stolen SUV he was driving. My guess is that these killers had a “take no prisoners” pact and there is some evidence that they fully expected to go out guns ablazin’. It sends a chill up my spine to hear so many friends and acquaintances speak of how soft spoken and nice the younger brother seemed. How odd that he acquired his U.S. citizenship on September 11th! I am as guilty as the next man of rushing to judgment, and of course we should wait to hear how this story unfolds, but this a-hole apparently killed and maimed a lot of people, and in my eyes he is a monster. My concern is that violence begets violence, and between the mentally ill and the political zealots (some would probably argue that they are one in the same), there may be some suicidal copycats out there who are eager to go out in a blaze of infamy. By the way, on the heels of that House defeat of gun control legislation - and don’t get me wrong, I am all for stronger background checks and perhaps a ban on assault rifles - this reminds us that there are hundred of creative ways to kill people without using guns. As one exasperated pundit asked last week, are we now going to ban all backpacks in public places? How about pressure cookers? As I said after the Newton tragedy, where there is a will there is a McVeigh. My hat goes off to all the law enforcement officials, especially the ones around the Boston area, who so bravely put their lives on the line to stop those SOBs. So many questions remain - were there others involved, were the brothers radicalized in the States …. and where was Geraldo during all of this?
The second big news event was the big fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas which killed 14 people (that we know of right now) including a lot of volunteer first responders. The explosion was reportedly felt 45 miles away, completely wiped out 4 blocks of the small town, and was caught on video. Aren’t cell phones remarkable? Because of the close proximity to Waco, Texas and the fact that the explosion occurred (I think) near the anniversary if the Branch Davidian fiasco, and also around the anniversary of the Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City, there was some talk that this explosion wasn’t an accident. Apparently, the ammonia compound that caused this explosion is a little less volatile than the compound used in the Oklahoma City bombing, but it will still ignite in a fire. While these ingredients are allegedly monitored and regulated (like guns?), it seems to me that this is a terrorist plot waiting to happen. I remember after 9-11 occurred, right after the second jet hit the tower, we sat in our Toronto high rise apartment feeling like sitting ducks. After the Boston bombing, and upon hearing about the West Texas explosion, I felt a similar trepidation. I guess I am a neurotic product of the times in which we live.
Finally, there was another big earthquake in the southern province of Sichuan, China. So far 188 are reported dead and well over 10,000 injured. Again, an arguably bigger disaster is eclipsed by our national headlines. At least the vultures have been diverted from that Jodi Arias trial. And comedian Jonathan Winters died last week. I thought he was a comic genius and particularly liked his Maude Frickert character. My heartfelt condolences to all the victims in Boston, Texas and China.
Written by
Oppenheimer c2013 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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