"No More Hurting People" - The Opinionista

I had planned to write a post about the war on women. That’s now scrapped. It’s obvious that today’s post had to be on the Boston Marathon bombings. But I still hesitated. What could I possibly write that hasn’t already been said? The sadness and outrage that I feel is the same as the one being felt across our nation and has already been expressed in a multitude of articles.

Then I saw the photo of Martin Richard, the 8-year old boy who was the youngest of three people who lost their lives on Monday. In the photo he’s holding a sign that he probably made in school with Crayola markers. It mentions “Peace” and “No more hurting people.” It looks so much like those that my sons (9 and 12) bring home from school periodically. I’m sure that Martin’s parents praised him for it and were proud that their 8-year old son felt and showed such compassion. His photo inspired me to write this post.

Our hearts are filled with compassion for the families of the three young people whose lives were cut short: Martin; Krystle Campbell, a young woman who everyone describes as friendly and joyful; and a foreign graduate student from Boston University.

We feel compassion for all those who were injured including the young man who lost both legs, the brothers who each lost a leg, Martin Richard’s little sister, his mom and countless others that we still haven’t heard about.

We wonder how something like this could have happened and who would do such a thing. As it always happens, we are horrified not only by the act itself but by the fact that it reminds us that there will always be evil in this world. Yet, at the same time we are comforted. Comforted, amid the horror, by the sight of so many who helped the injured, by the stories of courage and compassion.

I take one more look at Martin’s photo. I read, “No more hurting people” and a thought hits me. Someone who believes exactly the opposite took his life away. I’m heartbroken but relieved. Most of us think like Martin. “Out of the mouths of babes (oft-times come gems).”