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We should not allow terrorists to control our lives

Apr 18, 2013 Letters

 

 
Dear Editor:
I am not sure if any Guyanese ran in the Boston Marathon on Monday, but there are many avid fans among Guyanese, of the NY and Boston Marathons, with some even serving as volunteers in NY to aid runners.
Several Caribbean nationals ran in the Boston Marathon with one Trini barely escaping injury when the bomb exploded.  The bomb wiped away the achievement of those who were nearing the finishing line. It was a horrifying attack, according to a Trinidad athlete who has been living and studying for the past five years in Boston. I pray for the deceased and the speedy recovery of the other victims.
Every Guyanese, indeed everyone I spoke with, regardless of nationality, grieved for the victims of the bomb attacks on Monday.  All eyes were on TV with saddened faces and teary eyes.  How could someone attack people who were out to celebrate their patriotism in the state of Massachusetts and celebrate the achievers of the long distance run?
All of humanity must condemn the attack and show compassion for the victims as well as express solidarity with the city of Boston, where several Guyanese are settled.  T&T Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar roundly condemned the attacks when she was in NY.
I met Guyanese during my visits to Boston a few times, though not recently.  It is a friendly city with historic buildings and magnificent architecture. The open vegetable and fruit markets attract a lot of Guyanese and other West Indians, and you tend to find them there on a weekend.
Boston is usually a safe place without incidents and people are very liberal. It welcomes people from all over the globe, with many immigrants from Guyana, India, China, Latin America and the Caribbean. It is very liberal like the rest of Massachusetts, the only state in the union that has a Black Governor and at one time chose a Black as a Senator. So acts of violence in Boston or other cities in the state are very shocking.
Those who perpetrated the terror attack on the athletes in the Boston Marathon must be found and brought to justice.  When the news first broke, my teaching colleagues and I thought it was an act of domestic terrorism while others felt it had ties to the Middle East. As the investigation proceeded and we learnt of the type of improvised bombs used, we thought it was foreign terrorism because the same types were used in the Middle East and India.  However, authorities are now suggesting it could be an act of domestic terror and are seeking the public’s help. People should cooperate in helping the authorities find the terrorists.
Because of the attack, organizers of other marathons, London, NY, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc. plan to tighten security and change rules. While we should be on our guards and exercise greater caution of our surroundings, it is hoped that organizers will not make it difficult for people to volunteer or run in the marathon.  Normal society must not be disrupted by terrorists. We should not allow terrorists to control our lives.  People should continue to participate in marathons and other public events in these industrialized societies. Otherwise, the terrorists would have won.
Vishnu Bisram

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