Wednesday April 17, 2013

Keep running despite the terror

THE STAR SAYS . . .

COME the third Monday of April each year, amateur and professional runners pound the streets of Boston traversing the hilly New England terrain in what must surely be one of the most recognisable sporting events in the world the Boston Marathon.

Participants come from all over the world, including Malaysia, to take part in an event that started back in 1897, following the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Olympics.

Attracting an average of 20,000 registered runners each year, the Boston Marathon is not only a sporting event but a day of celebration as more than half a million spectators are on hand to cheer the runners on.

The twin blasts that occurred at the finish line towards the end of the race on Monday not only impacted the city but sent shockwaves around the world.

Although we are on the other side of the globe, we cannot but feel that terror has struck and its effects go beyond the scene of destruction.

President Barack Obama has vowed to bring the full weight of justice to bear on the perpetrators.

While there are no clear answers yet on who triggered the explosions and why they did it, the president declared that “we will find out who did this and hold them accountable”.

It is correct that the president avoided words like “terrorism” or “attack” in his address to the American people and urged caution in assigning blame until the facts are known.

In a chaotic situation like this, being too quick to jump to conclusions can bring unnecessary harm and consternation to those who may not be involved.

But for the ordinary citizen, the fact remains that this tragic incident occurred at a major sports event which was open to the public and in a place where those gathered should not have to fear for their safety.

Understandably, the security alerts will be high in many of the major cities in the days and weeks to come.

It is a terrible wake-up call. Terror has reared its ugly head and it is important that the people, whether in Boston or anywhere else, do not react in a way that only makes the terror linger.

Even as we share our concerns for the people of Boston, we must remember that the people in the civilized world must never let fear rule their lives.

People need to feel safe in their homes, in the streets, their workplaces and in their daily lives. The confidence lost must be regained.

The Boston Marathon is truly a day that draws the world to Boston's streets in a spirit of friendly competition. There are similar marathons around the globe, as well as major sporting events that bring the world together.

Which is why we must keep running because we must not let terror, of any kind, within or beyond our shores, make us cower in fear.

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