The past year has delivered its share of terror, pain and misery. People, including very small children, have been murdered in Colorado, Connecticut and most recently, Boston. Not so long ago, terror arose in Tucson Arizona and a United States Congresswoman was shot in the head, effectively ending a promising political career. Families everywhere grieve, mourn and worry that their family could be the next victims of a seemingly never-ending series of terrorist events.
The events in Boston, while fresh on our minds, also bring to light the fact that terrorists around the world want to change our way of life, kill us all and force us to behave differently every day; as we fear for our lives in the next horrific attack that we are certain will occur. That is the goal of terrorists, but it is a goal they will never achieve in these United States of America. They will never learn that terror can never win.
Sure, it may seem that terror may be winning at times. Terror can murder people at school, in the theater,and even on the streets of a historic race. Terror may toss bombs from moving cars, plant bombs where small children sit or barge into a schoolroom of kindergarteners and just begin shooting. But terror cannot win. Terror will not win because Americans always rise to the occasion and make something good out of something very, very bad. It is in our nature to stand tall, stand together and stand back up every time terror knocks us down. That is simply how it works in the United States of America. It may not work that way somewhere else, but as Americans, we rise up, dust ourselves off, learn from our mistakes, remember the fallen and then begin to make something better because of what terror has inflicted upon us.
We demonstrated our resolve on September 11th, 2001 and the devil responsible for that terrible attack now lies at the bottom of the ocean, forgotten and serving as food for the denizens of the deep. We established foundations, charities, programs and events in honor of the over 3000 victims of that terror attack, who were doing nothing more than their jobs on that bright September morning. I suspect we will do more of the same to honor the victims of the recent Boston Marathon tragedy. It is simply how we operate.
At work here, however, in the face of unspeakable events is a simple, yet profound fact that we must never forget. There are simply many more good people out there than bad. I heard this statement often during the past week in Boston. Spectators, volunteers, first responders, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and friends of the marathon bombing event rushed to aid the wounded, injured and dying. Some marathon runners, after completing the 26 miles event ran directly to the hospital to give blood. Others ripped off their shirts to create tourniquets in order to staunch the bleeding of damaged or missing limbs. Doctors, who moments ago were treating runners for dehydration and exhaustion, rushed to the scene to administer first aid to the wounded…saving many lives in the process. Again, many more good people than bad.
During the chilling days when one terrorist was still on the loose in the Boston area, law enforcement personnel from all over the region and country flocked to Boston to search for the missing terrorist. His brother, shot dead, reduced the search to one lone and desperate terrorist. As the search continued, and his last remaining hiding area was searched, the terrorist had to realize that many good people were after him and that his plan of terror, while successful in the short run, had failed and had failed miserably. Many good people from Cambridge to Watertown and Boston itself, were told to stay indoors and be vigilant. They did just that, and one good person noticed something amiss in his backyard and the remaining terrorist was soon captured. Screams of joy and victory could be heard throughout the land and thousands of people spontaneously applauded the law enforcement personnel as they left the scene of the terrorist’s capture, their victory assured. Again, many more good people than bad.
Less than a handful of hateful, misguided and defeated young men (yes, it always seems to be young men,) caused these recent, senseless terrorist events. And every one of them has been captured or killed in the process. Some of these cowards have taken their own lives in the process, attempting to spare themselves the sure and certain result that awaits them at the end of their long legal process. But in the end, there were very few of them and many, many more good people than the bad ones who inflicted all of this pain and carnage upon the citizens of our great country.
You see, terror will never win because the many good people will not let it win. The good people will again rise up, strike the terror down and create something wonderful in its place. That is how it works over here in the United States of America. We may fall down, but when we get back up there will be a reason for the deaths of our sisters and brothers and we will never, ever forget our loss. The many good people will find a way to make things even better. Sure, it will never be the same, that is unfortunately the way things work. But things will most certainly be better. The many good people will not have it anyway else.
Laws will change, procedures will be designed to make things safer. Memorials will be created, foundations will be established and charities will be founded. New events will be created and run, the wounded and the lonely will be taken care of. Relationships will be established that never would have existed prior to the terrorist events. Trees will be planted, scholarships will be established, buildings and roads will be renamed for the victims and thousands, even millions of people will gather every year to remember and honor the victims. Again, many more good people than bad.
Terror will never win because many good people will not ever let it win. Terror can only have its day, the good people of the United States will carry all the other days, weeks, months and years. The many good people of the United States will find a way to make things whole again. We will mourn and forever miss the victims of these senseless tragedies and then we will get up and on with the business of making things better for everyone. That is how we roll here in America. Many more good people than bad. Look around you right now and what do you see? Many more good people than bad. Terror will never win, there are simply too many good people to ever let that happen here in the United States of America. Good wins. Evil loses. You can count on it.