You know how they say bad times bring out the best in people?
We certainly saw that in Boston, where unspeakable violence occurred last week.
People inviting strangers into their homes because they had no where else to go. They could have easily said “no way.” Who could have blamed them? Bomb-throwing terrorists were on the loose.
But no, the good people of Boston gave up the shirts off their backs and welcomed strangers.
Residents stayed home and “sheltered in place” when asked to do so as law enforcement searched for the surviving teenager who in a matter of hours went from college student to internationally wanted man.
In Major League Baseball parks across the nation, fans sung “Sweet Caroline” in support of Boston and Red Sox fans. They even sang it in Yankee Stadium, and most of you are probably familiar with the rivalry between the Yanks and the Sox. Singing the old Neil Diamond hit is a tradition in Fenway Park, but to play it in Yankee Stadium? Any other time it would be considered heresy.
Another incredible moment came after Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was arrested. The residents of Watertown hit the streets — and they applauded and cheered the law enforcement officers who searched for the suspect, and who put their lives on the line doing so. One officer even delivered milk to a family with young children caught in the lock-down. His act of kindness has gone viral.
I heard one Boston officer say he felt like a firefighter after three little girls gave him cookies they had made with a special message thanking officers for their efforts. Police officers always think firefighters are more appreciated. I don’t know that is true, but the cops do have to do things that make people unhappy – such as write tickets and arrest people. Firefighters get to help people by extinguishing fires and providing medical care.
Personally, I appreciate the work both groups do.
All these good deeds make you feel warm inside until you get slapped in the face with comments claiming all terrorists are Muslims. In this case, it appears Tsarnaev’s brother was a Muslim and had become radical. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told authorities religious beliefs were at the heart of the attack, but his many friends said they didn’t know he was particularly religious.
I commented on Facebook that I was surprised to learn they were ethnic Chechens. I had expected the homegrown variety of terrorist because of the timing. It was April 15, and we have plenty of anti-tax people who could become violent. It was also close to the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. Timothy McVeigh was definitely homegrown.
I was disappointed when two people weighed in with comments that implied, if they didn’t come right out and say, that all terrorists are Muslim.
I pointed to McVeigh, but there are others, like those involved in Columbine, the Colorado movie theater shooting and the attack that gravely wounded Gabby Giffords and killed so many others. Make no mistake, these were terrorist attacks.
I asked a person in Harrison if he wanted to be considered a member of Ku Klux Klan just because a leader in that group chose to move to a rural area outside the city. Saying all Muslims are terrorists is the same as saying all Harrison residents are klan members.
Another friend said as a Baptist, she did not want to be considered in the same group as those from the Westboro church who are known for their protests at the funerals of men and women who have died to protect this country.
Another pointed out that terrorists come from all races, religions and backgrounds.
She was right, and the fact everyone doesn’t acknowledge that is a sad commentary on our country. It is one of the reasons we are hated in so many corners of the world.
As we reflect on the goodness we saw exhibited after the attack in Boston, I hope people we will get past their biases. It is the same as the racial conflict that gripped this country for hundreds of years. We are mostly past that. We need to embrace the Constitution and recognize the right to worship in the way we please — as long as it doesn’t hurt or kill.
And if singing a chorus of “Sweet Caroline” will help that along, I’ll start:
“Sweet Caroline.
“Good times never seemed so good…”
Leeanna Walker is local editor of the Rogers Morning News and Springdale Morning News. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NWALeeanna.