LESSONS FROM BOSTON

⁠Our Reporter⁠ ⁠April 21, 2013⁠ ⁠



To millions across the world, Martin Richard, the eight-year-old killed in last Monday’s terror attack in Boston, United States of America, is the face of that tragic failure in human wisdom. Full of life, and imbued with the vision of a violence-free world, the dream of a world without inhibitions, a world where love flows like an endless Spring, the boy had gone with his sister and parents to watch the Boston marathon. They had strategically positioned themselves close to the finish line, perhaps, to gain a vantage view of the winners. But it was death, the grim reaper, that emerged the winner. Two bombs planted by two warped minds, Dzhokar Tsarnaev, 19, and his elder brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, effectively ensured that Martin Richard will never, ever realize his dream of a wonderful world he had so hoped for. Before the two sons of the gun brought death to him in pressure cookers, Richard had dreamt and worked for a world where no one would ever be hurt, a world where all men would seek peace, a world where everybody would be his brother’s keeper. Although the massive manhunt that followed the attack ended Friday with the arrest of Dzhokar Tsarnaev, and the killing of his brother, it was Richard, and not the FBI or the police that smoked out the terrorists, that emerged the winner. He was the tragic hero, if you may. Through his death, the world learnt and saw the message of love and peace that the little boy had been canvassing in his little corner in Boston. About a year ago, Richard had unconsciously immortalized his campaign, when he wrote those inscrutable words on marble: “No more hurting people”. On another occasion, the boy had underscored his vision by holding up a bright blue sign decorated with hearts framing the word “Peace”. These are the pictures that tragic Richard left with the world. They are the truths he sought and worked so hard to impart on our world in church, at school, at play, wherever he found himself. Young as he was, he could not understand why our world should hang upside down like the bat of the night. He, within the short span his life lasted, emphasized the commandment in Hebrew 12:14 – “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (King James Version (KJV). That boy who our wicked world so cruelly treated taught us to “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14).

These are the truths I recommitted myself to yesterday, even as the Lord gave me the grace to add another year to my years on earth. I turned 57 yesterday, and it was a wonderful feeling. In the spirit of this renewal, I profoundly apologise to those that I have wronged, hurt and caused pain, especially my beautiful wife, Funsho. Back to Boston, and, like I said, the most important message that came out of the ashes of that tragedy is the wonderful message of love that has resonated around the world since we began to see those beautiful images by Richard. As a nation, and I’m talking about our beloved country,

Nigeria, the Boston bombing brought home some other lessons. The first, and the second most important lesson is the rapidity of the response by first responders, the security agencies and the seamless synergy among them. The response was swift, and pointedly focused to one goal: saving lives, taming terror. Although some experts have argued that the attack ought to have been amputated before it got to that fatal stage, but for fatigue or over-confidence by the security organs that ‘we’ve got everything fixed’, the casualty figures would have been higher but for the swiftness of the initial response. First responders and security agents poured to the scene of crime as if they had a foreknowledge of the tragedy.

They responded with ‘automatic alacrity’ as the late Chief Eleyinmi of Oja Village (in the popular soap, Village Headmaster) would have described it. But for this, the fatalities that would have followed would have far outweighed the three deaths and the 170 with varying degrees of injuries recorded. Our security agencies and NEMA should take something home from this. Timeliness is of the essence in search and rescue operations. It prevents avoidable deaths. Even if you were the most cynical of all sadists, you cannot but be impressed by the promptness with which the police and the FBI swarmed the crime scene. Apart from saving lives, their early arrival also helped substantially to secure the crime scene and procure possible leads for their investigation. That’s the way it should be.

To my compatriots, I also commend the selfless reaction of volunteer-fans of he marathon, students, doctors, and other caregivers (amateurs and professionals) to the attack. They surged to the scene to help victims. Unlike others, they didn’t flee from the chaos, they plunged into it. They were never bothered by the potential danger the attack could also bring to them. They were quick and unselfish in their quest to help brothers and sisters in pains and in the throes of death, hence the low casualty. As usual, President Barak Obama demonstrated leadership with his prompt reaction and empathy with the American people.

He assured Americans of their safety and security, stating that Americans can never be terrorized. And he never jumped into any conclusions. Even when there were copious evidences that indicated that the Boston bombings were an act of terrorism, he never mentioned the word ‘terror’ in his initial response. He never said ‘we know who did it or why they did it’. He waited to have all the facts from his security chiefs. It wasn’t until he got that that he mentioned the word ‘terror’, and that was some 24 hours after. Still, he simply said ‘we don’t know who did it’ but that America will get to the bottom of the matter and bring the individual or group of individuals responsible to justice. To me, that is very presidential. It is the right thing to do and say. He never said anything that would prejudge or streamline investigations and handicap investigators. He allowed the experts to do their job.

He never blabbed. That is the way it should be. And I do hope our leaders are taking note. Lastly, and most importantly, is the resources – human, machine and might – that America deployed to assure and protect its people, as well as smoke out the masterminds. The Washington administration didn’t say because ‘only three Americans died’, and therefore, consign the investigations to the local authorities in the State of Massachusetts. No. It never did. Rather, the central administration deployed its awe-inspiring federal might to hunt the monsters. The result came in swiftly on Friday. Even if ‘only one America’ had died, the administration would still not have behaved differently. It would still have done the same thing.

The soul of every American is precious anywhere, everywhere, and America would stop at nothing to save just one citizen. Even if no American had died in the Boston tragedy, the approach would still not have been different. America would still have considered it as a serious national security breach and treated it accordingly. Contrast that with what happens in our country and draw your inferences. To me, the story of Boston is the story of love. It is the story of courage and resilience of Americans in the face of adversity. It is the story of the indomitable spirit of America and Americans. It should also be our story in Nigeria anytime we are faced with adversity. God will help us.

Source : www.sunnewsonline.com