I was about to go to bed last night, when I noticed a friends status on Facebook. “Explosions at a marathon? Who even does that?“. So I switched on the news (we have a TV now so I can do that) and learned about the (presumed) attacks at the Boston Marathon. I have no words to even describe how I feel. As my friend said, who does that? At a marathon… a happy occasion. A time for people to celebrate their achievements and have fun. Three dead, said the news this morning, and at least 140 injured. A fire that broke out later at JFK library may or may not be related to the blasts. Even if it isn’t, the marathon part is bad enough.
Meanwhile, in Iraq, at least 31 people were killed and more than 200 others injured in a series of explosions in Iraq yesterday morning. No mention of those on Facebook, I notice. And on Sunday 29 people died as a result of suicide bombings in Somalia. Elsewhere, there arestories of teenagers stabbing each other to death, people ritoing in the streets after football matches (I refuse to refer to such idiotic people as “fans”) and people being jailed over a “Family fued shooting”. Even here in Karlsruhe, I read tales of muggings and fights – and Germany is actually incredibly safe compared to some places (including Britain!). With so much hate in the world, I sometimes wonder why we even bother to carry on. I suppose all we can do is try to spread a little love and happiness within our own circle.
Normal blogging service willl resume tomorrow. For now, I have no words.
Confuzzledom 
Sometimes the world just makes me so sad. 😦
Me too 😦
I know bad stuff happens every day, but for some reason, yesterday really got to me. So awful….
Maybe because it was supposed to be a fun event? People getting killed going about their everyday lives is bad enough, but when they’ve got together specifically for something good… that somehow seems even worse.
way to sum up my feelings at the moment.
There just aren’t any words to do justice to the awfulness.
I think about, and have a fair amount of guilt over, my sadness and shock over the events in Boston yesterday versus, Iraq, Afghanistan, or your great example of Somalia. As an American, we have a lot of “not here”. WWI, WWII? Not on our soil. I recall quite vividly September 11. When the second plane hit the Twin Towers, I, and other co workers were watching it, and being not stupid (though, I´m no Einstein), we were talking about how the air traffic controllers could have messed up that badly. Really. Someone had to actually say the word “terrorism” to turn that switch in my mind. I still have some guilt over that too. Guilt, for lack of a better word in that instance. Kinda a NIMBY attitude, I suppose.
But a race…and a race that people train for YEARS to get into? A celebration of all the nations involved? And one dedicated to the lives lost in the Newtown shooting? Sicker than sick.
And I feel guilt for saying that too. The only difference between Somalis and Bostonians, or Americans in general, is where we were born. A life is a life.
Most of the people talking about Boston on my Facebook last night were British. I think even for us, it’s more shocking when these things happen in America because “They’re just like us” (common language, etc.). Bad things happening in Iraq or Somalia are just expected… that’s how life is over there. And I agree that targeting a marathon is beyond sick and way more shocking than anything else, purely because it’s SO un expected in that situation. People should be celebrating the outcome of their hard work, not being attacked.
The stuff about Somalia was not to say we SHOULDN’T feel for the people who were in Boston – just trying to express how awful it is that people all over the world are suffering every day. I wish all this violence could just stop… everywhere (in America too!).
In the words of the wonderful Rufus Wainwright: “Wouldn’t it be a lovely headline, Life is beautiful on the New York Times.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOnU5o75YZA So sad to think of all the suffering in the world, especially when most of it is caused by each other.
Agreed. Why can’t people make each other happy instead for a change?