THE BOSTON WEEK

New England has had its share of misery in recent months. The April 15 attack on the Boston Marathon came as a total shock. We know there are terrorists and deranged individuals out there, but in our trusting hearts we still don't expect them to inflict injury and death on the innocent people next door. We don't expect them to be after us.

On that most New England of all holidays (yes, it's even dearer to most of us than Thanksgiving), Patriots' Day, we enjoy the arrival of spring by flocking to the great city of Boston, where the first American patriots rose up against the British Empire and started the American Revolution. Boston has never taken any crap from anybody. On April 19, 1775, members of the Massachusetts Militia, commanded by Captain John

Parker, attempted to halt the advance of British troops toward Concord by taking a stand at nearby Lexington. "Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here." 8 of his men were killed, including his cousin, Jonas Parker. The British marched on to Concord. On their way back to Boston, they were ambushed by Captain Parker and his surviving soldiers in what is remembered as "Parker's Revenge." They later participated in the Siege of Boston. The enemy couldn't kill him, but tuberculosis did before the year was over. He was 46. A farmer and a mechanic, he was a native of Lexington, and a veteran of the French and Indian War. He was just an average Joe who put his life on the line for all those things he held dear. He was a patriot. The first Patriots' Day was celebrated in 1894, to honor the participants of the battles of Lexington and Concord, as well as the first bloodshed of the Civil War.

Patriots' Day 2013 started out in fine fashion, with a reenactment of the Battle of Lexington, and the traditional Patriots' Day baseball at historic Fenway Park. No, it hasn't been there since 1775, but it sure feels like it has! My daughter, Elizabeth, and her friends, went to enjoy the game. They could not have 

imagined what was to follow.

The quintessential Patriots' Day event is the annual running of the Boston Marathon, a tradition since 1897. Many thousands of runners from around the globe descend on Boston to participate. It was a men's event until women were officially allowed to enter in 1972. A push rim wheelchair division was started in 1975, and was followed by a blind/visually impaired division and a mobility impaired program shortly after. The 26-mile marathon course runs through the towns of Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, and Brookline, concluding at Copley Square in Boston. Over a half million spectators cheer the runners on each year, and this year was no different. The winners crossed the finish line by 1:00 PM, with Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa taking the men's honors with a time of 2:10:22, and Kenyan Rita Jeptoo leading the ladies with a 2:26:25 finish. The top American runners each finished in fourth place: Jason Hartmann at 2:12:12 and Shalane Flanagan at 2:27:08. Here's a photo of Jason and Shalane talking to the press after the race.

The reason for the lack of happiness on their faces was due to the fact that at 2:50 PM the joyous athletic event became a tragedy, as two explosive devices were detonated about 225 yards from the finish line. With thousands of runners yet to complete the course, the race had to be halted. Three spectators lost their lives and almost 200 others were injured. The fatalities included Krystle Campbell, 29, of Arlington, Massachusetts, Lu Lingzi, 23, of Shenyang, Liaoning, and Martin Richard, 8, of Dorchester, Massachusetts. They came to watch the world's most celebrated foot race and paid the supreme sacrifice for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The bombing scene was a state of chaos, but people helped each other until medical help arrived. Even without knowing if other bombs were about to go off, brave folks shook off their fears and pitched in to save others. As happens in most any place in America where nature or nut cases wreak havok, heroes are made. Boston was no exception, from the first responders on down the line.

The big questions began immediately. Were we under attack by terrorists? Was it 9/11 all over again? Who had done this, and why? So began the Boston week.

 People helping people.

I immediately called my daughter to make sure she was okay. The game had been over for awhile, but she and her friends were still in their seats, debating what to do next. They finally decided to walk out of Boston. The "T" (MBTA) was shut down, as were the cabs. Local authorities had virtually closed Boston, so that the perpetrators could not escape. No one was sure what other targets there might be, or where safety could be assured. She called me a couple of hours later to say they had safely made it to Watertown. 

The week continued with Boston Police, the F.B.I., and many other organizations focusing on finding out who the culprits were. President Obama made a public statement expressing America's condolences to the families of the victims. We learned more about each of them. This quickly became a national tragedy, much like the slayings of Newtown, Connecticut in December had become. The country was in mourning and shock. In New York City, the New York Yankees baseball team, long-time arch rivals of the Boston Red Sox, expressed their support of Boston by having fans sing the Sox's unofficial anthem "Sweet Caroline" at the next day's game. The gesture was genuine and much appreciated.

As the week moved on, the authorities uncovered video footage of the suspected bombers, walking calmly with bomb-filled backpacks and leaving them at the sight of the future carnage. They were able to trace cell phone usage and assemble other clues to narrow the search. Amazingly, they had not left the greater Boston area. They turned out to be two brothers, "local boys," although their connection to outside terrorist forces has yet to be disproved. They made their first big getaway mistake by shooting and killing police officer Sean Collier, 26, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology early Friday morning, after which a car chase developed which ended in Boston Transit Police officer Richard Donohue, 33, being seriously wounded, and the older brother killed. The younger brother escaped on foot. As I awoke to this news on Friday, I called my daughter to tell her that several towns, including hers (Waltham) had been locked down. Schools and businesses closed. Everyone was asked to stay in their homes while a door-to-door search was conducted for the fugitive. As it turned out the search's area of concentration was in Watertown, the same "safe" place she had walked to on Monday! Everyone stayed inside until almost 9:00 PM, when officials concluded that the suspect had left the area. Within 15 minutes he was discovered hiding in a boat in Watertown by a homeowner walking his dog. Here's a link to the story from ABC News:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/04/live-updates-boston-bombing-suspect-in-custody-day-2/

A feeling of relief and celebration filled the air as the suspect was carried away in an ambulance, and townspeople cheered and applauded the police.

The feeling carried over into Saturday and to Fenway Park, where the team and the fans were estatic.

Unannounced and unexpected, Neil Diamond walked on to the field to lead the singing of "Sweet Caroline."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WqXyHon_hD8#
He later posed with the leaders of the manhunt for the bombers. His appearance was well-received by all.

 

"Boston Strong" became a national slogan by the end of the Boston week. The Boston Athletic Association, which has managed the Boston Marathon since its inception, created a special tee shirt to raise funds for the victims. Details on ordering can be found at: http://www.bostonmarathon.org

Now the long and careful process of trying to find out what the motive was for this murderous crime can begin in earnest. Is this a continuation of the 9/11 terrorism, or is this a new and even more ugly local terrorism carried out by citizens of this country? Brainwashed, filled with hatred for America, just plain crazy...who knows? Hopefully we will have the answers soon. But Patriots' Day and the Boston Marathon will never be the same again. Someone has tried to blacken a wonderful holiday and a wonderful athletic event. But we will not let them succeed. Daniel J. Flynn, writing for The American Spectator had these words for all of us to consider:

Spectators and first responders rushing into the danger zone to aid the bloodied and dismembered victims provoked thoughts of the events that defined the region 238 years earlier. The Minutemen grasped on April 19, 1775 that free isn't. Dozens paid dearly for it. Like the heroes of this Monday past, they didn't anticipate the dangers that enveloped them. A bad situation brought out the best in them. They rose to an occasion they didn't seek.

Certainly 80-year-old Samuel Whittenmore didn't expect a fight to the death when he awoke on April 19, 1775. Yet, before sunset he had killed three redcoats. The reward for his efforts included enduring repeated bayonet strikes and getting shot in the face. About a quarter mile and two centuries from the house in which I grew up, the left-for-dead octogenarian commando arose from a puddle of blood and began to reload his musket.

If you get knocked down, you have a choice: stay in the dirt or stand and fight. When duty calls, whether on the first or last Patriots' Day, patriots act. That's the lesson of April 19, 1775. That's the lesson of April 15, 2013.

At the end of the Boston week, we are Boston strong. That doesn't mean we are ready to gun down any stranger who doesn't look like Tom Cruise. We must not lose our humanity. We will let 8-year-old Martin Richard have the last word. May we all be so fortunate to have these be our last words.