Yesterday, on the 117th running of the Boston Marathon, the true horror of a world fraught with terror was unleashed in a senseless act in downtown Boston.
Nearly four hours into the race, two explosions rocked the area surrounding the finish line at about 3 p.m.
As the number of injuries rise and the announcement of the death of an 8-year-old boy circulates, it is easy to question one’s faith in humanity; however even in the darkest of tragedies, hope in humanity can often be found.
Such is the case in the Boston Marathon bombing, where there are great shimmers of light despite the darkness that surrounds the act of terror.
For instance, former Patriot’s linebacker Joe Andruzzi was captured on camera as he picked up an injured woman and brought her to safety, risking what could have been a second explosion, or possible serious bodily harm.
In addition to Andruzzi’s bravery, there are other countless examples of people helping. There was a tweet sent out by the Red Cross in Boston saying they appreciated all the donations, but their reserves were full. Despite the Red Cross’s tweet, some of the runners who had just finished the 26.2-mile trek ran to the nearest donation center and donated.
What’s more, some of the most prominent acts of bravery have probably been witnessed across the country – but people failed to realize what they saw. The heroism hidden in plain sight in the many videos that have been posted online that show the scene in downtown Boston after the blasts.
As you watch the horrible replays of the bombs denoting only several seconds apart, look at the people – many of them, including men in military uniform, police officers, race officials, and concerned spectators – run toward the chaos!
As seen in this video, after the initial blast, and even still during the second blast, these heroic first responders began tearing at the scaffolding to help emergency vehicles and EMS reach the victims.
One of those heroes shown in the video was Carlos Arredondo, who helped out by wheeling chairs toward ambulances. Arredondo is described as a peace activist whose son is a fallen soldier who died while serving the United States. When the blast struck, it is reported that Arredondo was handing out American flags. He immediately jumped the fence and used his own shirt to stop the hemorrhaging of one of the victim’s wounds.
Another hero in the face of this attack was Dr. Peter Fagenholz, a trauma surgeon at General Mass hospital. After the explosions, he addressed the media on behalf of the hospital. The injuries treated there, the doctor said, were complex lower extremity wounds to flesh, tissue and bone. He himself operated on several victims, and his committed and steady hand helped save lives, along with countless other nurses and doctors who aided people across Boston that evening.
These first responders – from policemen, firemen and military and medical personnel to professional athletes and average Joes – these are the heroes who emerged from the smoky, bloody streets of downtown Boston on Monday.
They represent the best America has to offer, risking their lives to help those in need – complete strangers – without anything to gain personally. They give us hope for humanity, because after the explosion, there were more of them than the bad guy.
As long as they outnumber evil, faith in the humanitarian spirit will always thrive.
Fix contributor Ben Smith is a student at UNC Chapel Hill.
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