Normally, in my weekly columns, I discuss “Matt’s Moneysavers,” but because of the recent events that occurred in Boston, I felt it necessary to provide my imput on the matter.
What happened at the Boston Marathon was unimaginable. I never thought I would see the day, when our nation would see a tragedy at a marathon. Unlike some writers, my home-state, Michigan, had a similar experience.
I don’t usually give a shout-out to Detroit in any of my articles, but in this case, I will break my own rule. The city I used to work in dealt with an almost similar tragedy, the attempted Christmas Day bombing of 2009.
After 9/11, air travel changed for the worse, getting through security turned into a several-hour process that eventually involved stepping into a machine that allowed a stranger to pretty much see you nude, but I did not mind. If it saved lives, I am all for it, but little did I know that someone would be crazy enough to carry a bomb in their underwear.
Sure enough, it happened. Luckily, he did not succeed. The man who attempted the bombing was a Nigerian man named Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab.
He was charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism, and possession of a firearm or destructive device in furtherance of an act of violence.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing a firecracker-like sound in the airplane, and four brave passengers helped subdue him. I could only imagine what went through my former co-workers’ heads at FOX 2 News Detroit when the news came in. Anyone in the news business who worked on a tragic night can tell you how crazy it can get.
AbdulMutallab was later put on trial, and plead guilty. Sure, like most Americans, I wanted justice, but I remembered that all men are innocent until proven guilty.
It is easy to get swept up in anger, and play the blame game, but it is not right. Making decisions while angry usually leads to worse decisions.
Some people even play off people’s fears. In the 1950s, communism was the fear. Several actors, and even some of my favorite comic book characters, where accused of being communist.
This selling of fear also came into effect after 9/11, against Muslims or anyone from the Middle East. Hate crimes are something I do not condone, nor tolerate.
I never thought I would ever see two attacks in my country less than 15 years apart, but times have changed. Many of the veterans I have interviewed recall the day Pearl Harbor happened.
My generation will now have two instances where they can recall when our country was under attack, 9/11 and the Boston Marathon.