“Boston Unbowed in the Face of Terror”

"Terrorism, Innes observes, has three goals: “mass killing, paralyzing a population with fear (i.e., terror), and softening a people to the terrorist group’s demands.” On all three counts, Innes writes, the terrorists failed."

Dr. Innes addresses students
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“…this random slaughter appears to have been an act of political terrorism, not just indiscriminately directed personal anger,” writes Dr. David Innes on WorldMag.com. “But as terrorism goes, it was entirely unsuccessful.”

Terrorism, Innes observes, has three goals: “mass killing, paralyzing a population with fear (i.e., terror), and softening a people to the terrorist group’s demands.” On all three counts, Innes writes, the terrorists failed.

With respect to mass killing, Innes observes, the death count was “surprisingly low.” Two bombs, set off at one of the most public and highly attended events in the United States, did injure and maim many. But the attack only killed three individuals, two of which were women, the other a child. “…to a jihadist attempting to strike a deadly, manly man blow against America,” Innes writes, “two women and a boy, one of them not even American, adds shame to failure.”

With fear, the response on the scene was marked by not by fear but by “bravery and cohesion.” Runners, observers, and officials raced into the fray to help, not away from the carnage.

And as for weakening people to the demands of terrorists, Innes concludes, “Bostonians have been defiant. This is Boston, the cradle of the American Revolution. The spirit of ’76 is apparently still alive. Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz announced to a spirited crowd at Fenway Park Saturday, ‘[N]obody is going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong.’ The fans concurred.

Click here to read the full article on worldmag.com.


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