Marathon is more than a national tragedy

“If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon.” — Kathrine Switzer

The dead. The injured. The anguish. All the result of bombs that were set to explode at the finish line just over four hours after the start of the Boston Marathon. Right now the sane among us will suggest caution. We’ll suggest restraint. We’ll suggest the giving of blood. There will be time to mourn. We will mourn the dead and injured. I also mourn the Boston Marathon and how it’s now been brutally disfigured.

The Boston Marathon matters in a way other sporting events do not. It started in 1897, inspired by the first modern marathon, which took place at the 1896 Olympics. It attracts 500,000 spectators and over 20,000 participants from 96 countries.