Just a few months ago, I was rounding the circle in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum, approaching the half marathon finish line of the Philadelphia Marathon. My lungs were burning and my legs were aching, but I high fived Mayor Nutter as I crossed the finish line, basking in the cheers of the throng of spectators assembled.
Similar scenes of jubilation were shattered yesterday at the Boston Marathon, as two bombs ripped through the crowd. I cannot imagine the shock and horror that must have spread among runners and spectators alike.
We don’t know yet who is responsible for what happened. We don’t know whether the threat was home grown or from abroad. In the coming weeks, we will find out. The perpetrators will hopefully be brought to justice. But such thoughts can only bring a modicum of solace in our time of national grief.
The knee-jerk response to this tragedy will probably be one of fear, finger pointing and perhaps calls to broaden the ever-expanding Patriot act. But the right way to honor the victims of this tragedy is by simply continuing to live our lives as normal. The ultimate goal of any terrorist act is to strike fear in our hearts and change the way we live. So we mustn’t.
That being said, I don’t think that we should stick our heads in the sand. Thomas Jefferson aptly said ¬that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. But we can be vigilant without being afraid.
I think it is rather poignant that the event took place at the conclusion of a marathon. The historical origins of the marathon race come from the Battle of Marathon, where the Athenians defeated the Persian Army of Darius I. Vastly outnumbered, the Athenian democracy united to thwart the Persian horde.
The victory proved for the first time that the Greeks could defeat the Persians, and helped bring about the golden age of classical civilization. By showing resolve and restraint in the face of tragedy, we can hold true to the ideals of civil society articulated by the ancient Greeks.
Plus, we need to remember that our vigilance has paid off. The odds of being the victim of a terrorist attack in this country are incredibly low ¬— far, far lower than the odds of being injured or killed in a car accident. And most of us are not afraid when we get behind the wheel and drive, so we shouldn’t be afraid in how we live the rest of our lives.
Two and a half weeks from now, I along with more than 30,000 other people will take part in the Broad Street Run, a 10 mile run down Broad street. As I approach the finish line at the Navy Yard, I know that my lungs will be burning. I know that my legs will be killing me. I know that I’ll bask in hearing hundreds of people shout my name. And I know that I will not be afraid.
This column has been clarified that Mittman ran the Philadelphia half-marathon last year, not the full marathon.
Kurt Mitman is a Sixth-year doctoral student from McLean, Va. His email address is kurt.mitman@gmail.com.
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