A Salute To The Good Guys
- April 22, 2013
- Posted by: Rochelle
- Category: Creativity + Inspiration
This last week in Boston gave Americans a window into a new world.
There was terror. Unspeakable horror and loss and tragedy. A whole city on edge, waiting, not knowing if they were next.
And yet.
The good guys stepped into action. The cowboy-hatted Carlos Arredondo, (who lost his son in Iraq) immediately tended to a severely injured young man who would suffer double amputations. Nurse Stephen Segatore, prepared for the usual marathon-related maladies, instead comforted a young woman so she wouldn’t die alone. Former army medic (now MIT staffer) Bruce Mendelsohn ran from a party nearby to deal with an assortment of gruesome wounds.
And let’s not leave out law enforcement. By all appearances, they left any temptation for bureaucratic one-upmanship at the door. Local and state police, FBI, ATF and transit police all pooled resources and devoted their considerable energies to stopping the bombers. They went beyond the usual media briefings and fully embraced Twitter to open a public dialogue.
When the FBI crowdsourced photos of the suspects, the regular Joes and Jills stepped in. They took to the airwaves on social media, and spread the word from law enforcement. It was their tips and calls that led to the ultimate resolution. They took their city back for the good guys.
While I pray we won’t need to mobilize like this ever again, I want to remember this moment. To remind us that we each have the power to make a difference. To make a call, to lend a hand. To step up when we’re needed most.
Thank you Boston.
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4 Comments
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Hello from England Rochelle.
I was unbelievably touched by today’s respectful silence. Yesterday in London our marathon runners remembered too.
A friend in Japan says this prayer in every city he travels to “May peace prevail.”
With best wishes,
Helen
I am so proud of the response everyone made to this uncalled for sacrifice of life and limb. What maked people do such horrendous things? Does this make them think they are doing good to create a violent act?
Thank you Boston for standing up to the thugs.
Good point on the crowd-sourcing; even more than the surveillance cameras, it was regular folks with their mobile devices who provided key images. The data world is at hand. More than ever technology empowers all of us.
Here here to all of you!