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Video available through NBC.com shows the first of two explosions that occurred a little over 4 hours into the Boston Marathon, near its finish line. The second explosion, 100 yards away, can also be heard over the panicked crowd reaction. Reports vary as to whether two, twelve, or some other number are dead; at least two dozen are reported to have been wounded. (The preceding sentence will be updated as more definitive information becomes available.) Both bombs had reportedly been located in trash cans out of the street. The photo below also captures the moment of the initial explosion:
Without having read more than a single brief report that mentions nothing below, I can offer an educated guess at what theories are circulating right now: (1) Al Qaeda, (2) racist white supremacists, (3) anti-tax protesters, (4) a “false flag” operation by the government (not necessarily those from either party) itself. I’m willing to condemn any of the above, or whoever else, committed this act of terrorism on U.S. soil.
Two other things worth keeping in mind, however:
(1) This doesn’t usually happen here in the U.S. We get our share of destruction (often with firearms) and more than our share of murders, but it’s the rare attempt to terrorize the public — to make us afraid of attending public events — without firearms that is successful. It’s a good moment to recognize, though, that this is not that uncommon in much of the rest of the world, Western Europe included. We’re usually insulated from this; this time, we weren’t. Whatever we’re feeling now is what is frequently felt by both our allies and enemies; that gives us a chance to learn from it — to join the rest of the world and empathize with their fears of violent social instability. (Unfortunately, after the major tragedy of the 9/11 attacks, this opportunity was generally not taken to heart, which affects our policies about blowing up people overseas to this day.)
(2) What will surely come of this are calls for a larger, stronger, security state — even from people who, most of the time, call for “smaller government.” Those sorts of calls are almost inevitably eventually shown to be misguided. Too much power gets concentrated in too view hands, it is deployed selectively to excuse some of the most suspicious or violent targets, and it gets directed towards “low-hanging fruit” like marijuana dealers. Watch what people say today, in the wake of this tragedy, with an eye towards the idea that the insufficiently restricted power to surveil, like the power to tax, is the power to destroy. And let’s also bear in mind that however many people turn out to have been killed by this today, many others turn out to be just as dead from intentional or reckless causes — ones more amenable to prevention — as the one we see depicted above.
Our thoughts go our to the victims and others directly affected (mine particularly to at least one friend from Manhattan who was running today, the Patriots Day holiday in Massachusetts.) But there’s one powerful way to fight terrorism: don’t let ourselves be terrorized by it. Other cultures similar to ours have faced as bad or worse without breaking down. Now is a time for calm, strategic, thoughtful policy response — just as much as it is a time to mourn. We should find who did this an punish them appropriately. But we should no more crack down unnecessarily on our freedoms than we should give in to terrorist demands — especially because that sort of corrosive convulsion to our society may well be what these terrorists most sought.
Your thoughts, as usual, are welcome.
Update (Links — add ones you think ought to be here in comments):
http://www.businessinsider.com/inspiring-images-from-boston-2013-4
Update 2: Photo of 8-year-old killed in the bombing, Martin
Lucia Brawley writes on Facebook: This is Martin, 8. He died in the Boston bombing yesterday. He was at the finish line with his family, waiting for his dad to cross. His mother and little sister were catastrophically injured. He was the student of our dear friend, Rachel Moo. His message resonates powerfully today. My prayer is that we all live by Martin’s words, paying tribute to his too-brief, but immeasurably valuable life by following his example
Well said. I very much agree!
Note new update with photo of 8-year-old fatality, Martin.
Well, the first connections that occurred to me were:
– Tax Day;
– 4 days before the ten-year anniversary of the Waco Inferno;
– 2 big pieces of controversial legislation moving through the Senate;
– and Boston’s symbolism as the birthplace of the American Revolution and the original Tea Party…
We’ll keep listening for more evidence and not jump to conclusions, like everyone did when they thought Oklahoma City was Muslims, but that’s some powerful clues to it being domestic…
PS my brother also brings up:
– April 15 is some kind of “Patriots Day” in Boston
– Boston University has been pissing of the IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY with an oral history project taking a dimmer view of Gerry Adams;
Or who knows, it could be Al Qaeda, or even North Koreans could pull that off!
Yes Vern,
Today is “PATRIOTS DAY”, a Holiday in Massachusetts.
Which is my first thought was: “FUCK THE NEW YORK GIANTS”
For those readers interested the OC PATRIOTS meet most sondays in Tustin at the Irish place at the District. Check out the Yahoo Group “OC PATRIOTS” for details. Family friendly (if you are OK with kids hearing profanity) and lots of fun.
whoever it is, they are a bunch of fucking assholes who should be summarily shot
I’m just swiping this wholesale from my friend Laurence Lewis, who elaborates on a point I raised:
Like.
I’ve heard enough already about this tragedy.
I’m sure that all of the news hosts are trying to figure out how they can move their show to Boston for the rest of the week.
….don’t give into terror.
Hug the one’s you love. Hug the one’s you merely tolerate.
About 95% of the hard news occurs in the first 24 hours.
After that, it’s just “reporters” putting people on camera and trying to get them to cry.
The man really likes to spin the people, just like the plane ride for the Sandy Hook parents to the White House so one of the mothers could make that tearful plea to the nation, what a bunch of bull!
Letting the Sandy Hook parents make their plea for gun safety was a bunch of bull … HOW exactly?
If this horrific event is tied to an Islamist terrorist – is it still “domestic terrorism”?
If a member of Al Qaeda is sitting in a Boston restaurant drinking some pinot noir from Sonoma County, is it still domestic wine?
Yes it is and I hope a drone takes him or her out – US citizen or not.
You want to see drone bombings in Boston? I don’t think that you do.
I took my grandson to see GI Joe last weekend – they had these little tiny drones – about the size of a small moth – quite devastating to a single terrorist – that would be ok.
i want to see drone bombings in santa ana.
we are looking to get a drone for our homeowners association. hopefully, it will keep those annoying kids selling magazines out of the neighborhood
Too soon, skally. (I’d check willie too, but what’s the point?)
Yeah, drones are so good at killing ONLY the intended target. Brilliant solution.
Do you actually stop to reflect on what you write?
Ah, a couple dozen Americans as collateral damage would be no biggie, eh?
The moth drone was a joke dipwad – must you take everything so literally? You must be a real buzzkill at a party.
Wow, what a comedian. I’ll bet you can really empty a room.
Wow, skally….
It took 7 hours from the explosion to publicly piss yourself with the Islamaphobia hysteria.
How could you contain yourself ?
He’s perfectly willing to deprive US citizens of due process.
And folks like Skally are the gun-totin’ citizens we’re told are “law abiding.”
I really don’t think that a drone would be necessary – that is kind of a metaphor. I am not stupid. In the scenario that Diamond puts forth a head shot by a well trained sniper would do the necessary work.
Diamond mentioned Al Qaeda first on his list -that is an Islamist terrorist organization.
He listed “false flag operation by the government” as well. I think it was a list of the theories he expects to hear, not what he suspects or I suspect.
I too am confused by his calling it “domestic terrorism” in the title. If it WAS Al Qaeda or North Koreans, then I don’t think it’s properly called domestic terrorism, even if the perps WERE imbibing California wine.
Greg also listed white supremacists and tax protesters (Tea Baggers) in his list of possibilities. That was not in his response.
Skally just brings up the group that keeps him up at night in his bunker.
Yes, as written, those were theories I expected to hear.
I’m presuming that, even if it were Al Qaeda, they would not have imported people from Saudi Arabia to build and deploy the bombs — hence “domestic”participation. But I don’t think it’s Al Qaeda, in part because I think that the government is watching them (and the non-violent left-wing) better and more closely than it is the violent right-wing, in which I include the most extreme anti-tax protesters.
Similarly, anti-tax and White Supremacist movements would be domestic even if they were funded by Russia or China. (And, frankly, that would probably be a smart use of such foreign money if they wanted to destabilize the U.S.)
I agree with everything that was said above but want to add that what happened today is just another day in Baghdad – Afghanistan. No matter how much money we throw at Homeland Security, trying to feel safe, we just can’t do it. We can’t search every bag, trash can, van, etc.
I am once again shocked and dismayed that we have idiots in this world who believe this kind of senseless criminal act is somehow justified in their twisted minds.
Greg,
I totally agree with your last paragraph. I wish that same logic would be applied to the current debates in Sacramento and Washington DC when it comes to our enumerated Rights.
“Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose: For example, concealed weapons prohibitions have been upheld under the Amendment or state analogues. The Court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms. [United States v.] Miller’s holding that the sorts of weapons protected are those “in common use at the time” finds support in the historical tradition of prohibiting the carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons.”
-Justice Antonin Scalia, in the syllabus of the Court’s brief in Heller, 2008.
What’s your point, anon?
I wasn’t being selective, I was being inclusive of ALL our Rights.
Are you really that narrow minded?
I would also like to point out that this year’s 26 mile Boston Marathon was dedicated to the 26 sandy hook victims. So, on patriot’s day, at a highly televised event, an act of non-gun violence was carried out on a race dedicated to shooting victims. Neighbor Connecticut just rushed through stricter reactionary gun laws too.
What seems most likely to me at this point is a misguided extremist trying to send a message of “Outlaw my guns? Even if you ban all the guns violence still happens!” on a symbolic day. And as a “bonus” the media spotlight will be on Boston instead of Newtown, just like Newtown took it away from Aurora
*That’s right….blame the “gun community”. Perhaps it was Gun Manufacturers who were upset about the new gun laws in Connecticut………..please……..
Why does “grasping at straws” come to mind. First off whoever did it was a barbaric idiot that has no qualms about killing women and children and old people. Who does this sound like to you? How about under 30…..wears a hoody……..speaks like a Saudi……and it ain’t Cuba Gooding Jr. or Denzel Washington. OK……you can hate who you like…..and we have every belief
that the real perpetrator or perpetrators will be found, identified and brought
to justice. They should be sent ot Gitmo……and left to rot. Diabolical and on top of that……Premetated Murder. Mulitiple counts…under special circumstances….guaranteed death penalty…..if those that did it are found. A Federal Offense…….if those involved crossed any state lines. We believe that
those involved…..came into town…found a safe house….created their explosives and planted them…….and immediately left town. Our bet is they were on a plane going somewhere else by the time the explosives went off.
Under 30, wore a hoodie, and speaks like a Saudi?
Are you two tormented by nightmares of Trayvon Al-Marty?
what is ironic about this terrible event is that obama has basically told the nation what bush told the nation – go out and shop – but while bush was ridiculed for the sentiment, obama is lauded for the same thing. we should hold all politicians to the same standard
Link please, showing where Obama has told us to go out and shop.
Who are all these news sources you guys watch, that dissed Bush within days of 9/11 while treating Obama with reverence?
You’ve been immersed in MSNBC and Air America since 2001? Oh wait. Those guys weren’t even around back then.
It’s how one says it.
I see no evidence that Obama told us to go out and shop. Still waiting for that link from Willie.
Until then, it’s not even a case of HOW it’s said.
while i was brushing my teeth this morning, obama was on the television, the gist of what i got from his statement was that we are going to get the bad guys, everything is fine and we should go on with our daily lives. granted, i may have misinterpreted what he said but what he said, in my dimly lit mind, was well said and for a scared public, reassuring. the context was the same and i found it ironic, that’s all
To the woodshed, rich man.
Well you can read the full transcript of his statement here. I find nothing even remotely akin to “go shopping” or even “we should go on with our daily lives.”
Willie, don’t listen and brush.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/04/16/1202237/-President-Obama-s-statement-on-Boston-Marathon-bombings
When I’m responding to a comment by willie, I often doff my “serious” hat. And before willie suggests it: no, not my pants too.
and greg, if i dont say something stupid, who is going to make you laugh every day
This is who Boston needs right now: