The tragedy in Boston has not only failed to terrorize me, it’s made my resolution stronger—and it should be doing the same for all of you.
I tried to qualify for Boston when I ran the St. George Marathon in 2012, and I just missed the qualifying time—by about two hours.
The Internet is drenched with articles on the Boston Marathon. Obvious questions need to be answered:: Why did it happen? What should we do now? Who can we blame besides the perpetrators?
Of course there was speculation to boot: It was an act of terrorism. It was an isolated incident. It was Russia’s resurgence as America’s No. 1 enemy. It was sent by God (which is the Westboro Baptist Church’s theory).
And there are philosophical responses to all the chaos: We should persecute. We should forgive. We should be vigilant. We should up security.
Amid all the questions, solutions and blaming, one thing is for certain: This single act will turn every sporting event from here on out into an airport security doppelganger.
I’m fully behind any measures that are taken to ensure the safety of both spectators and athletes alike. Nobody should run 26.2 miles only to have a leg blown off. No child should be waiting to watch a parent cross the finish line only to die in an explosion. If that means having to set up TSA-style checkpoints at every sporting event, then so be it.
When that happens, we cannot be discouraged. We cannot be angry with those who are keeping us safe. We shouldn’t let the inevitable spectator screening stop us from attending any public events.
In fact, I urge each and every one of you to make an effort and attend more games, more races and more matches than you ever have. Nothing cures a case of terrorism like shoving your middle finger in the air and accompanying it with a loud and melodic “F—k you, bombers!”
We must stand up and show the cowards behind the bombing that we won’t back down. There are three lives gone already, and hundreds more are altered forever. Are we going to let the number of negatively affected rise to the thousands? The millions?
No.
So you better bet, when I run the St. George Marathon in October, I’ll be giving it my all in order to qualify for Boston. And when I do, I’ll be there on the East Coast with my running shoes on, a determined attitude and my middle finger right in the face of those two men responsible for 4/15.
