Monday, April 29, 2013

Terrorism as Cowardice:Thoughts after the Boston Marathon Bombing



Tamerlan Tsarnaev, aged 26 and his brother Dzhokhar, 19, are accused of going on a violent spree. On April 15, they killed three people and wounded 260 with the pressure-cooker bombs they dropped near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The debacle ended in Tamerlan’s death and Dzhokhar’s capture in a boat parked in a driveway in Watertown, Mass.

Like many others, I am devastated by these random acts of violence perpetrated by young men, whom many could not imagine capable of committing these gruesome acts.

In brief, their lives reveal trauma, turmoil combined with extraordinary advantages to live and love in a country without war. They had the possibility to acknowledge their confusion, disappointments, hopelessness, and to learn to love themselves and others. Instead of healing their divided minds, they chose radical thinking to unify their confusion and externalize their hate and rage.

Conclusion: Sadly our culture, as expressed in the media, often glorifies violence. Violence sells.  We associate violence with power.  Too rarely do we hear the opposing message: Real power lies in the courage to acknowledge rage and transform it to constructive action-to change the world for the better.

Dear Reader, I welcome your thoughts. Jsimon145@gmail.com


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