Alexa Mauzy-Lewis
Lately, it seems as though the world is falling apart. It’s hard to grasp the we live in a time where you can no longer feel safe at school, or in a movie theater, or even when you step outside.
The horrendous tragedy that unfolded during the Boston Marathon may have occurred over 3,000 miles away, however; the effects were felt across the nation. Even at home, the news of twin explosions that killed 3 people and injured over 170 innocent bystanders and participants of the world famous Boston Marathon left those watching from home shaken, confused, and angry.
Even at a local level, the bombings raise many questions that we wish we didn’t have to think about. The horrible and truth of the matter is that this could have happened anywhere. The sobering lesson to be taken from this calamity is that the way we combat terror must be altered dramatically. This disaster has posed many concerns to our security and created an era of fear and uncertainty in the American people.
As always in the aftermath of conflicts such as these, the clash between the protection of civil liberties and the call for heightened scrutiny in our safety has broken out in a heated debate, reflective of the same arguments raised by the recent Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting in Colorado. The topic of weapon control, public surveillance, and effectiveness in dealing with such circumstances has become the forefront of the media’s coverage; however our political agenda remains untouched.
Even in light of these American catastrophes, we find a way to constantly split ourselves onto separate sides. The issue here isn’t democrats versus republicans; it’s the safety of our country and of our people. It seems to me that we have all together missed the point in the moral of these recent tragedies. In times of chaos, we must stand together to support the brave city of Boston in recovery and move forward in progress. Our government accomplishes nothing in fighting over the various interpretations of the constitution for months on end until the demand for change blows over and the whole issue becomes irrelevant. So instead of immediately jumping to the conclusion that your freedoms are at risk from the infringement of government, it is time for our nation to step back as a whole and look at the bigger picture. The horrifying combination of the massacres in Colorado, Connecticut, and Boston in only this past year emphasizes the fact that change in our country is in dire need of change. We shouldn’t be afraid to step outside our front doors. It is time for our law making officials to sit down, put aside ideological difference, and make something happen.
The undying beauty of our county is the unification of our people and our ability to stand strong in times in crisis. We must remember this bond and stand together, not as liberals and conservatives, but as Americans to work towards peace and security in our country.
