Since 1992, April has been Stress Awareness month, but this year we didn’t need a reminder. On 4/15/13 there was plenty of fear and anxiety after the Boston marathon bombing, with three innocent lives cut short that day and 264 injured, several in critical condition.
It was Patriots Day in Boston, a day filled with history, tradition and rituals. The violent attack, in the midst of celebration, rekindled vulnerable feelings for all of us. With 24/7 media coverage and five days of chaos and terror, it seemed like the whole nation was having a stress reaction.
Of course we all want answers.
Was Tamerlan Tsarnaev a mentor to his brother, Dzhokhar, embittered toward the U.S., influenced by religious extremism, planning other attacks? Was he anti-America and self-radicalized or tutored and trained? And if in fact the brothers were the spiders, where is the web?
It has been 12 years since 9/11 and times have changed. We live in a more dangerous world and we’re less safe in America. Islamic rage did not disappear with the death of Osama bin Laden. This is a new era with suspicious packages and the loss of innocence, with children fearful and parents anxious.
So many people spoke up about their suspicions, shared smart phone pictures and information – joined together, looking for the suspects. Tragedy brings out the best in people, as evidenced by the courage of first responders and the spirit of Boston. Please log on again Thursday, when we’ll be focusing on the digital impact.
