As we all have bared witness to lately, the events in Boston have been an experience that we will remember. I wish the people, city, and all those who came out to help a big hug and thumbs up. I won't try to write some deep moving statement; I think others have done that better than I could - Patton Oswalt's being one of the best I've seen. You can read that here.
What I will write is a request. It's easy to put words down when you haven't been directly involved and I acknowledge those who may feel that is what I'm doing with what I will be saying next. I respect their opinions. But I do feel a need to send this request. Let our system work as it should.
By this, I mean that we need for justice to be gained by the proper methods. The police and law enforcement did their jobs. The people did theirs. Now it's justice's turn. I say this not because I sympathize with anything the individual is accused of having done. I say it because I don't want to see our great system be torn down from the inside.
They say that when we stop living our 'normal' lives than that's when the terrorists win. So everyone goes about their days and tries to return to normal as quickly as possible. We 'show' the terrorists - foreign and domestic - that we will not be forced into hiding in the corner. And that is a noble characteristic of any American. But then the time comes for justice. And we instantly find the suspect guilty without ever a trial. Newspapers and television stations describe "how he did it" and provide all sorts of background information on him. Experts discuss what would have made him do it - from culture to family upbringing. Yet none of it is from firsthand conversation. And while I'm not a sympathizer for the 'lost soul' or 'misguided youth,' I am an advocate for the system that built our country into what it has become. More importantly, I am an advocate of the system that prevents our country from becoming something we are trying to stop.
The Judicial system will see this individual in custody as innocent till proven guilty. And so will I. The system will allow him to have proper defense. And so will I. And the the system will let evidence and facts guide the decision of the court. As will I. This is not to say I don't have feelings about what should happen to the person responsible. I just believe it is important for justice to follow the proper path. Not so much for the individual accused but for us.
For us because without the Judicial System to guide us and keep us proper, we as a nation break down. We end up relying on television personalities to provide us the facts that they don't even all have. Listening to 'experts' who have yet to hear the case. Feeding off of social media that in its rush to get information out, is often found 'Updating' or 'Correcting' it's last post. This is not a safe - nor sane - way to guide our country forward. So I control my feelings and let justice take its turn in the process. Because if I don't, then no matter how much of my 'normal' routine I get back to, the terrorists have already won. They won by breaking down the one wall that separates our civility and humanity from their ruthlessness and savagery.
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