Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had a few things to say in court today for the killing of three people and injuring another 264 back in 2013 when he and his brother set bombs along the path of the Boston Marathon.
“I am sorry for the lives that I’ve taken, for the suffering that I’ve caused you, and the damage that I’ve done,” he said Wednesday during his sentencing hearing.
“I pray to Allah to bestow his mercy on you,” Tsarnaev said prior to Judge George O’Toole imposing the death sentence. “I pray for your relief, for your healing, for your well-being, for your health.”
He added: “I ask Allah for mercy for me and for my brother,” Tamerlan.
And just in case there are still those out there wondering whether Tsarnaev really committed the crime, the confirmation came straight from the horse’s mouth: “I am guilty of [the bombings], along with my brother, if there is any lingering doubt.”
A year ago, terrorists thought they would break our spirits by attacking one of the staples of American life – the Boston Marathon. A year later, an American by the name of Meb Keflezighi did something no other American has done since 1983. Meb won today’s Boston Marathon.
As he crossed the finish line, Meb gestured to the sky as if remembering those who died from the attacks. Watch the video of him crossing the finish line below.
So we mentioned Donald Trump and the very stupid partisan tweet he made in the midst of a national tragedy as FBI and local Boston police were trying to capture the suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings. Trump joked about ObamaCare, wondering if the injured bomber would receive coverage.
You just know that Trump was not going to be the only Republican making an off-the-mark and uncalled-for “joke.” Here’s another.
State Rep. Nate Bell (R-Mena), wrote on Twitter, “I wonder how many Boston liberals spent the night cowering in their homes wishing they had an AR-15 with a hi-capacity magazine?”
LOLOL. Get it? Now how funny is that? Are you cracking up from all this Republican humor? Yea, me neither, and neither did a whole lot of folks. Feeling the pressure to explain himself, Mr. Bell offered this “apology” on his Twitter and Facebook page;
“I would like to apologize to the people of Boston & Massachusetts for the poor timing of my tweet earlier this morning. As a staunch and unwavering supporter of the individual right to self defense, I expressed my point of view without thinking of its effect on those still in time of crisis. In hindsight, given the ongoing tragedy that is still unfolding, I regret the poor choice of timing.”
Yea, he’s apologizing for the “poor timing.” I’m not sure when would be the appropriate timing for that “joke.” Maybe if less people died in the next attack he can try his humor again.
They just can’t help themselves. It is obviously hopeless for the Republican party if the leaders cannot figure out what’s appropriate behavior or common human decency.
Immediately after one of the most harrowing, frightening, wierdly compelling and sweat-inducing weeks in our recent history, the political backlash is rearing its ugly head. It’s emotional and knee-jerk and patently American.
First up is the argument that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is a terrorist and thus should be treated as an enemy combatant, as opposed to a citizen criminal. The Senators pushing this line, Lindsay Graham, John McCain and Kelly Ayotte are reacting from pure emotion. There is no defending what the two brothers did or the dastardly effects of their action in a major American city, but can we at least step back a bit and consider the full range of options? Here is a 19 year-old, probably in thrall to his older brother, and probably not as committed to a radical path, who commits murder. By all other accounts, he’s a law-abiding person. There are circumstances. Let’s calm down.
The Senators assume that a Federal Court would be an inappropriate venue for weighing Dzhokhar’s guilt (or innocence, by the way. Does anybody remember that he’s still presumed innocent?) and that only a tightly controlled military tribunal will assure his punishment. They think that reading him his Miranda rights is an affront to justice. Not true, and a dangerous assumption. Let’s let the FBI do its job. The genius of our legal system is that it must filter out emotional responses. That’s what we need to have happen now.
The case also seems to have jolted the immigration debate. Again, the knee-jerk reaction is to shut the door to all immigrants and to throw out all the illegals. It’s as if the debate we’ve been having over the past four months simply vanished. Yes, we should all have legitimate concerns about the FBI’s interview with Tamerlan Tsarnaev and whether government security officials should have done more to follow-up on his trip to Russia and his possible radicalization at the hands of militant Chechen or al-Qaeda operatives. But how does a family that, until last week, basically followed the law and applied for legal status according to protocol get to throw an entire system into doubt?
They shouldn’t, and it’s up to pragmatic, level-headed citizens to see that. We certainly do need border security, but it’s not like the Tsarnaev family spirited themselves across the border under cover of night or lived on false papers or were outwardly hostile to the United States. We now know that at least one of them was, inwardly, but how could anyone know that he would commit this act? We can’t. That’s why it’s called terrorism. Because we don’t expect it.
And like the gun enthusiasts who said that background checks would not prevent another Newtown, closing the door would not stop another Boston (or, for that matter, another Oklahoma City or September 11). Tamerlan was here for 10 years before he acted. I’m sure there are other legal immigrants in this country who could similarly become radicalized and act in another city. Shall we hunt down all recent immigrants from every other hotspot in the world an follow them? Evict them? Where do we start? Are immigrants from Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Nepal, Tibet, Sri Lanka, the Central African Republic and any other area where there’s been civil unrest now eligible for government surveillance?
Speaking of the gun debate, I am extremely interested in where the Tsarnaev brothers got their guns. And whether they were registered. Or bought online. Background check? Based on the Newtown logic, I’m thinking the NRA is now going to call for all people who attend sporting events to carry guns (and for some on the left to outlaw pressure cookers). Or perhaps we should just stop having marathons. Clearly, these would solve the problem.
We need to be more diligent, to be sure, but we also need to step back and process this event logically. Only then can we look at our next steps with clear eyes.
Today, emotions were high at Fenway Park as the Red Sox were set to take on the Royals. The first game at Fenway since the day of the marathon bombing was sure to have an inspiring pre-game ceremony. Add in the fact that authorities were able to kill one of the bombers and arrest the second bomber last night and you get a very strong feeling of pride in Boston. Early this morning, the Red Sox tweeted that their home jerseys would be a little different today. Attached was this picture.
The Red Sox home jersey says just that, “Red Sox.” But today, they would read BOSTON for the city they so pridefully represent. On a day where fans came to use this mass gathering to show their pride as well, the team’s undisputed leader addressed the packed house after a touching tribute to the victims and first responders.
David Ortiz stood in the infield in his special BOSTON jersey with a large American flag draped over the Green Monster behind him, and he spoke to the fans and to a national TV audience. Ortiz explained that their jerseys did not say Red Sox today but instead Boston. He went on to thank the Mayor of Boston, the Governor of Massachusetts, and the Boston Police Department. He then said “This is our fucking city and no one is going to dictate our freedom.” He thanked the crowed and yelled “Stay Strong” as he walked off the field. League Commissioner Bud Selig was probably not too fond of Ortiz’s speech but the crowed went absolutely wild. Maybe using the F word was a little unorthodox but I think it showed passion and it made it clear that Ortiz is not just an athlete getting paid to be there. He is a Bostonian even if he’s not originally from Boston.
What happened in on April 15th was terrible. But it was Patriots Day in Boston and it is only fitting that we feel Patriotic about this amazing country and its amazing resolve. Maybe things like the Bruins game the other night and today’s Red Sox game seem silly to some people. And after something so terrible happens, you realize that these are just games and they are not that important in the grand scheme of things. But I’m a New Yorker. I screamed my lungs out when Mike Piazza hit the game winning home run against the Braves in the first game in New York after September 11th. I also stayed up late into the night to watch three amazing World Series games in the Bronx that October/November. Sports, at a time like this, may not be that important but they serve as a distraction. More importantly, they give us a reason to cheer again.
A man hailed as a hero of the Boston bombings who had lost both legs in the blast is now facing a pile of medical bills, but thanks to the power of the web, he will not be left in a lurch.
Jeff Bauman, 27, who was depicted in the now-iconic and extremely graphic picture being carried away from the scene of the explosion with his legs severed below the knee, helped police identify the suspects in the attack, one of whom looked him in the eye just before the bombs went off.
Although the 27-year-old victim is covered by medical insurance from his employer, Costco, his treatment and rehabilitation are expected to be both lengthy and costly.
Friends of Jeff Bauman (pictured center) have raised more than $330,000 on the crowdfunding site gofundme.com to help cover his medical expenses.
Iconic image: Jeff Bauman, 27, was depicted in the extremely graphic picture being carried away from the scene of the explosion with his legs severed below the knee
Eager to help Bauman, his friends set up an online funding campaign in his honor called Bucks for Bauman on the crowdfunding site gofundme.com, hoping to raise $1million to cover the costs of his surgery and other medical expenses.
Since the page went live Tuesday, more than 8,200 people have donated over $334,000 towards Bauman’s care.
‘We have created this fundraiser to raise money to help support our dear friend, Jeff and his family,’ the page states. ‘As most of you know, Jeff was severely affected by the tragedy that had taken place at the Patriots Day Boston Marathon this year.
‘Throughout this difficult time we want to help in every which way we possibly can to get Bauman back on track as soon as possible.’
The uncle of the two suspects in the Boston bombings is not too happy with his family members. He previously spoke by phone to WBZ Radio and called his nephews “losers” and “bastards.” In the video below, the uncle offers some advise to the remaining suspect, “turn yourself in,” he said. “You have brought shame to this family!”
AP and NBC reported that Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev came to the U.S. from or near Chechnya, but both have apparently spent several years in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, is the remaining suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings — the subject of a massive manhunt Friday morning in Watertown, Massachusetts, multiple sources reported Friday morning.His brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, has been identified as the first suspect and died overnight following a firefight with police.NBC News’ Pete Williams said earlier Friday morning that the two suspects likely had “foreign military training,” and had been in the country for about a year.
Later he said they were brothers, and added, “They were legal permanent residents. They were in this country legally, at least a year. They appear to be from Turkey, possibly Chechens from Turkey. That seems to be the nationality here.”
Just before 7 a.m. Friday morning, the Associated Press confirmed Williams’ reporting and naming Tsarnaev.
Born July 22, 1993, according to Williams, Tsarnaev attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, has a Massachusetts driver’s license, and has been in the country for around a decade.
The brother, although NBC initially reported he was 20, was 26 and named Tamerlan Tsarnaev. He became a legal permanent resident, according to NBC, in 2007. He maintained a YouTube page that focused on Sunni Islam and included a playlist named “terrorist.”
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s online profile is more secular, though his “World view” on Vkontakte, the Russian equivalent of Facebook, is listed as “Islam” and his “Personal priority” is “career and money.”
Tamerlan Tsarnaev died overnight in the firefight with police, suffering from “blast and potentially gunshot wounds … probably a blast injury [and] possibly shrapnel” throughout his trunk.
In 2011, Dzhokar Tsarnaev was recognized as a Cambridge Rindge and Latin School Greater Boston League Winter All Star:
His Page on Vkontakte, the Russian equivalent of Facebook, has been overrun with people asking him how he could have committed the bombing, and wishing him dead.
“Originally from Chechnya, but living in the United States since five years, Tamerlan says: ‘I don’t have a single American friend, I don’t understand them.'”
“Tamerlan says he doesn’t drink or smoke anymore: ‘God said no alcohol.’ A Muslim, he says: ‘There are no values anymore,’ and worries that ‘people can’t control themselves.'”
Loss prevention from Lord & Taylor called to report they had detained a shoplifter. Zubeidat K. Tsarnaeva, 45, of 410 Norfolk St., Apt. 3, Cambridge, was arrested and charged with larceny over $250 (women’s clothing valued at $1,624), and two counts of malicious/wanton damage/defacement to property.
BOSTON (AP) — A suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings is about to be arrested, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said Wednesday.
The official was not authorized to divulge details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The suspect was to be taken into custody by federal marshals and taken to a Boston courthouse, the official said.
The official spoke shortly after several media outlets reported that a suspect had been identified from surveillance video taken at a Lord & Taylor store between the two bomb blasts.
An official news briefing was scheduled later Wednesday.
Law enforcement agencies had earlier pleaded for the public to come forward with photos, videos or any information that might help them solve the twin bombings that killed three people and wounded more than 170 on Monday.
Investigators circulated information about the bombs, which involved kitchen pressure cookers packed with explosives, nails and other lethal shrapnel. But the FBI said nobody had claimed responsibility.
A person close to the investigation had previously told AP the bombs consisted of explosives put in 1.6-gallon pressure cookers, one with shards of metal and ball bearings, the other with nails.
Below is a video from Family Guy. In it, the eerie scene shows Bob Costas interviewing Family Guy’s Peter Griffin, asking him how he won the Boston Marathon.
The scene then shows Griffin’s answer where he makes two phone calls and two explosions are heard after each call.
Walking around in the aftermath of yesterday’s tragedy I heard people say over and over, “I can’t believe this happened here in Boston.”
Most tragedies seem distant and removed.
Until tragedy lands on our front door.
For those of us who have ever considered Boston to be home, yesterday’s explosions shook many to the core. The normal reaction is shock, anger, even numbness. It feels surreal that terror of this magnitude came so close. As the American Psychological Association states, “shock and denial are normal protective actions” after a traumatic event.
Today Everything Feels Normal
Walking through Downtown Crossing and into the Financial District this morning, it was hard to imagine the horror of yesterday’s events in the regular activities occurring today. It was business as usual.
Tourists clicked cameras and walked along the streets. Business people walked quickly down the streets. Phones were out, businesses were open. The usual suspects were on the corners asking for money. Students gathered to study and sip coffee. In Starbucks, a financial advisor counseled the woman sitting next to me on the best way to reallocate funds. I walked past a mailman, hands full of mail and packages. Checking my phone, I noted my landlord had emailed a request.
Life goes on. Part of the strength of the people in this country is our ability to be resilient, to cope, to go on.
As my own mentor told me recently; “Sometimes life is not about being successful at living. It’s about continuing on.” I was going through a personal trial, the kind that defines the rest of your life- how it’s lived out, what happens next.
As a city, Boston is also at the place of crisis: the explosions at the Boston Marathon will define every event that ever happens again. No marathon will ever go on in the same way, perhaps even with the same joy. Everything has changed.
When a crisis hits a city, such as yesterday’s explosions hit Boston, people stop. Yet while we stop momentarily, all of us tend to move on quickly if we are not directly touched by the tragedy.And I suppose the cynics among us, even in us, argue that trouble and tragedy is the common problem of modern humanity. Explosions in cities, shootings in towns, a shaky economy, earthquakes, floods, blizzards, and hurricanes are among the tumultuous events that hit us corporately.
Add to that personal trials of financial struggles, relational struggles, health crisis and the other difficulties and the only alternative to giving up in despair may be to continue on.
As I reflected on yesterday’s events – I was standing at the site of the explosion a mere 75 minutes before it occurred- I couldn’t get the phrase out of my head, how now shall I live? In the middle of the crazy times we are in, learning to live in response to these events rather than in spite of them seems to be a healthier, saner way to live.
So while we continue on in strength and resilience, let’s not forget to take time to reflect and heal.
Ideas on Healing and How to Continue on After a Tragedy
• Allow adequate time to feel and to heal.
It’s o.k. to be sad and grieve, even if we were not personally affected by the event.
We are in such a rush to get better and back to “life as normal” in the Western world. From insurance mandated hospital stays to treating illness with over the counter meds and powering through a cold, we are in a rush to get better.
There is no cookie cutter way of responding to traumatic events. According to the American Psychological Association, some people will respond right away and others will respond after time has passed. Some individuals grieve for an extended period of time and others move through grief quickly.
What is important is to be aware of ourselves and sensitive to others.
• Slow down, even for 5 minutes a day
Self-awareness and awareness of others can be difficult in the middle of noisy, busy life. But slowing down helps, even if beginning a “quiet time” for a mere 10 minutes a day. Turn off the electronics and breathe.
Be aware that extreme mood swings, increased irritability and feeling “off” may all be signals from the brain, body and heart that all is not well and restoration is needed.
• Don’t forget to remember
Remembering keeps us sane. Remembering is part of learning.
Remember those who have been injured. Don’t ignore the headlines. Don’t forget to remember those who suffer. Sometimes there is nothing we can physically do. Perhaps, even if we were not directed affected by yesterday’s tragedy, we can do this: extend a bit of kindness to those around us today.
• Share a meal with people you care about.
People who sit down and share meals together live better. Schedules are crazy and even sharing a meal once a day may be hard for families. Do it as the schedules allow. For singles, is it feasible to prioritize cooking and eating with a group of friends once or twice a week? The healthy habit of breaking bread is so much more than the physical food. It’s about what happens in our hearts and minds and souls.
One of my favorite phrases is, “Be kind. Everyone is facing a battle.” Indeed. The battle may be tangible, palpable, and able to be described in words- as in the betrayal of a friend or the diagnosis of cancer. Or it may be more subtle, yet just as potent- increasing fear and anxiety, a shorter tolerance, an inability to cope with today’s problems.
You can continue on. I can continue on. As I watch families laugh together and businesses set up shop, I am once again admirable of the American people who continue on despite the fact a terrorist(s) attempted to stop us from doing so yesterday.
As we continue on, may it be with greater care for one another- and ourselves.
Just another day. An ordinary day like every other. Today is April 15th, 2013, Tax Day. Today is also the day of a long ‘running’ event – the Boston Marathon. An event in Boston that has been run since 1897 on Patriots Day, the third Monday in April will now have a stigma forever attached alongside their historic event – terror.
As runners were completing their epic test of endurance of over 26-miles throughout one of the most beautiful cities in the world, bombs exploded in a two-city block area. One actually detonated as runners were crossing the finish line. Why? Who’s responsible? What is the reasoning behind it? The last is obvious: To strike ‘Fear’ in the hearts of All Americans. The previous two have yet to be determined.
As paramedics and EMS attendants began to minister to the wounded, witness accounts of events have begun to surface, some disturbingly graphic. Bloodied spectators were carried to a medical tent intended for runners. Several of the injured had lost limbs, and at least one police officer was hurt.
“Somebody’s leg flew by my head. I gave my belt to stop the blood,” spectator John Ross told The Boston Herald.
Although no one has come forward announcing their guilt and purpose of the attack (as of this writing), we do have confirmed numbers to share. At least two – one being an 8-year old – was pronounced dead and over 100 injured. Chaos, panic and dismay have shrouded the country yet again, bringing about memories of 9/11, the Atlanta bombing at the 1996 Olympics and the Oklahoma City bombing of the federal building 18-years ago in this very month.
President Obama spoke on the attack Monday evening.
“We still do not know who did this or why; we still don’t have all the facts. We will get to the bottom of this. We will find who did this and we will find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice. … We’ll find out who did this, and we’ll hold them accountable.”
“The nation will remember Boston in their prayers tonight,” the president said.
As the hours passed and perhaps even days, more information will surface. According to several media outlets, the FBI and terror experts are already searching surveillance cameras in the area to look for ‘suspicious’ activity. With technology and ‘Big Brother’ watching us, it’s just a matter of time before the culprit or culprits are brought to justice.
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