Letters: Beyond Boston

Re “The boundaries of Boston Strong,” Opinion, April 14

What a brave piece for Susan Brenneman to write ahead of the Boston Marathon.

Not to lessen the tragedy that was last year’s race, but as a U.S. citizen, one must realize that what to us was an unspeakable tragedy was just another day in many parts of Africa and the Middle East. In those lands, only close relatives and the extended family give any notice to the suffering. In many places there are no effective police forces, and what authority does exist is compromised.

At this time of mourning for those who were killed or injured in the attacks at last year’s Boston Marathon, we need to be grateful for the blessings we have living in this great country. Thanks to Brenneman for reminding us.

Michael Barrett Jr.

Burbank

How dare Brenneman compare what happens in countries that don’t care about Americans to what was done to my fellow Bostonians last year. Lest we forget, it is the countries that we are asked to feel sorry for that brainwash and train young men to commit unspeakable acts of violence against innocent people.

Perhaps rubber bracelets and T-shirts won’t work because those people just don’t care.

Janet Ciulla Whitney

Studio City

Brenneman’s piece doesn’t even begin to tell the story about disasters, including others in the U.S.

On April 17, 2013, in the town of West, Texas, 15 people were killed in an explosion at a fertilizer plant. The blast left another 200 people injured. More than 150 homes and other buildings were damaged, including three of the town’s four schools.

This tragedy happened within 48 hours of the Boston Marathon bombings, yet it received far less coverage in the national news. Why? Are the three dead in Boston more important than the 15 dead in Texas?

Except for the immediate towns folk, does anyone even remember what happened in Texas that day?

Charles Reilly

Manhattan Beach

P.J. O’Rourke once observed that people from successful societies don’t hijack airplanes and fly them into buildings because “winners have an air force.”

In the same vein, the best thing we can do for folks in Iraq or anywhere else people try to make their point with explosives rather than by debating is to help give them the tools that make a winning society: the rule of law, guaranteed individual liberties and a government with checks and balances.

Help people to liberty and they’ll find their own ways of being strong.

David Hendershot

Fullerton

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