The Boston Marathon bombings today represent a cowardly act by unknown persons against presumed innocent people trying to achieve something equivalent to superhuman goals. For the vast majority, running the marathon, any marathon, let alone Boston, was a strongly individual act. Few were running for national pride or some ideological system. Most were running to achieve personal goals. A few may have been running against the best-known marathoners.
To commit an act of violence and mayhem against the world’s greatest idealists and athletes is truly a crime against humanity. To achieve in the midst of a field of high achievers is at best an intensely personal act–to rise to one’s own greatest potential. At worst, it is only to achieve amongst other high achievers and to bring a sense of pride to groups–national, racial, economic, or geographical–and give groups who identify with a high achiever, pride in the accomplishments of one of their own.
To attack such a group of the best of the best is senseless, just as it would be to attack a group of the least amongst us. I can imagine no ideal that would justify such an act.
If notoriety is the goal, then attacking a public event, in the abstract, is a little more understandable. Since no one has come forward the feeble attempt at notoriety is moot. The act is hate. Nothing but hate.
What you have sown, you will reap.
