Thank You To The ‘Helpers’

I woke up in India this morning to the terrible news coming out of Boston.   At first, my heart sank. My second reaction is a little embarrassing. When I heard there were only three fatalities (so far) I thought, “Oh, that’s not so bad.” NOT SO BAD?! Have we become so desensitized to violence and acts of terror that three deaths, not to mention dozens maimed and injured, elicits a tempered response.   It’s not as bad as 9/11 or the subsequent attacks on London, Madrid or Mumbai, but it’s still horrific.

Later in the day I was still trying to process what happened when I saw that a friend had posted the above quote from Fred Rogers  on Facebook.

Instead of feeling defeated, angry or frightened by what happened in Boston, perhaps we should focus on what went right.   In the middle of this hateful act there was an outpouring of love, strength and competence. Doctors, Nurses, EMTs, firefighters and cops ran into the chaos and saved countless lives. The injured were triaged on the scene by medical professionals working the marathon.   The police rerouted the runners immediately, thus preserving a crime scene and preventing more chaos.   There were more ‘helpers’ than destroyers yesterday.   We should celebrate those acts of bravery and love.