What Do You Expect?

My prayers do go out to all the people who were at the Boston Marathon, whether injured or traumatized. Prayers also for the friends and family of those people. Beyond that, I want to say I find the reaction to this bombing troubling. Where was all this concern, compassion and outrage for the very many similar incidents in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Central and South America in the last year?

Clearly there’s a nationalism involved. A nationalism, by the way, which heavily polices identity. Accusations of not being American fly very easily over sincere questions, political ideas and even food choice and sport preference. And that’s not even touching on race and faith.

I do have empathy for those who are greatly troubled in their hearts and minds that such a thing can happen. My heart goes out to anyone who suffers. Yet we should all feel horror and outrage at this kind of violence. It’s important to remind ourselves that people all around the world suffer this kind of violence on a regular basis. People within this country live with many kinds of violence every single day.

Please examine your response to this tragedy. Look for an expectation that this kind of violence “shouldn’t happen here” or “shouldn’t happy to our kind.” Many posts I’ve seen subtly or not so subtly contain these expectations. I do wish for the impossible - a life free from violence for everyone all over the world. But the expectation of a life free from violence? That’s privilege.