OT: Bombing / Explosions at the Boston Marathon

[endo]

Kudos to all those who run towards those in need seconds after an explosion without knowing if the area is safe first. There are so many naturally good people out there, unsung heroes, who deserve their due. I honestly can't say if I'm a big enough person to run towards danger and not away from it, and I honestly hope I never have to find out.

I guess I see what you're saying, but the best thing people should do in a situation like this is not immediately run towards the scene of the blast.

You may want to help, but there's a very good chances the person(people) responsible for this have planned secondary devices to cause even greater harm.

It's just so mind numbing to be when I realize that humans can do this to other humans for no reason whatsoever. When you detonate, what has to be going through your head? I doubt anyone here knows, but it's just perplexing to me.

Well there's definitely a reason. Let's be real here.

You and I may not agree with the reason, but it's not like these people are complete anarchists. There is a purpose behind their actions.

[CB-Blazer]

Found these on Facebook. Can somebody please tell me this is just some jerk messing around and neither of them are true....

CNN has the second picture in one of their slideshows with the title:

"A man comforts a victim on the sidewalk at the scene of the first of two apparent bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon."

Not that it really matters, but stupid as hell how people try and spread these type of things during a tragedy like this.

Thoughts and prayers to the friends, families and anyone affected.

You Bostonians are tough, great job banding together and doing what you can.

[endo]

Not needed.

[endo]

I'm never a fan of comparisons to other disasters when one just happened. It's like explaining to a woman who just lost 1 son that there are mother's out there who've lost 2 sons so it's not so big a deal. I'm sure that's comforting.

There's a time and place for political comments but not within the 1st 24 hours.

But we are going to be lambasted with coverage of this even for the next few days.

I know this $hit happens in Iraq and Afghanistan far too regularly, and I guess when it happens in a place like America it captures the public attention a little more.

[D.Brasco]

I'm never a fan of comparisons to other disasters when one just happened. It's like explaining to a woman who just lost 1 son that there are mother's out there who've lost 2 sons so it's not so big a deal. I'm sure that's comforting.

There's a time and place for political comments but not within the 1st 24 hours.

But we are going to be lambasted with coverage of this even for the next few days.

I know this $hit happens in Iraq and Afghanistan far too regularly, and I guess when it happens in a place like America it captures the public attention a little more.

Like i said there is a time and place for that but there are some people who are too excited to start comparing casualty statistics as soon as a tragedy happens.

There are still body parts being collected off the streets.

On a side-note having this thread here on the general discussion page sort of shows how really ridiculously insignificant sports debates really are in the grand scheme of things.

[EscapoTHB]

I'm never a fan of comparisons to other disasters when one just happened. It's like explaining to a woman who just lost 1 son that there are mother's out there who've lost 2 sons so it's not so big a deal. I'm sure that's comforting.

There's a time and place for political comments but not within the 1st 24 hours.

All comments are political. Silence is political.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

[sir G Wallace]

You can tell a lot about a civilization/culture based on how they treat their criminals/prisoners. It's no coincidence that the places in the world that treat their convicts the harshest are also the ones that leave a lot to be desired politically/socially.

So America has about 5% of the worlds population, yet has 25% of the world's prison population. what do you make of that?

I've heard that more men are raped in America than women. How is that? Well, when you take into account the rape culture inside Americans prisons, let it makes sense.

America has a horrible record with it's own prisoners. It's a national shame when you really look at it.


We live in a prison industrial complex where often class and race determine your chances of being incarcerated.

Get real. Not many things in America are as bad as things in developing countries. Race, class, religion plays a MUCH bigger role in the poorer countries in the world than it does in the US. They dont even get to complain about it in the media as much as we get to. They have to just keep their mouths shut and learn how to avoid the worst of it.

You heard more men are raped in America because no one else is reporting men being raped in other countries. If a woman is ashamed to report a rape what makes you think a manly man wants to report it? There is a lot less sympathy for male rape victims in the US let alone the **** countries of the world, hence the fewer numbers of man rapes we see reported worldwide.

The US prison problem can be easily helped by stopping the useless war on drugs and by stop being a society that gets turned on by violence and glorifies behavior that involves dominating other human beings either physically or mentally.

[Goldtop]

Found these on Facebook. Can somebody please tell me this is just some jerk messing around and neither of them are true....

CNN has the second picture in one of their slideshows with the title:

"A man comforts a victim on the sidewalk at the scene of the first of two apparent bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon."

Not that it really matters, but stupid as hell how people try and spread these type of things during a tragedy like this.

Thoughts and prayers to the friends, families and anyone affected.

You Bostonians are tough, great job banding together and doing what you can.

I'm trying to make out what that 2nd picture is...I see him leaning over what looks to be a womans hair, but where is her body?

It doesn't look like there's anybody underneath him. Looks like he's caressing a wig laying on the ground, tbh

[bigbadstevenson]

I'm never a fan of comparisons to other disasters when one just happened. It's like explaining to a woman who just lost 1 son that there are mother's out there who've lost 2 sons so it's not so big a deal. I'm sure that's comforting.

There's a time and place for political comments but not within the 1st 24 hours.

Gotta give the politicians the head start on spinning it for P.R..

Up here in Canada, our Prime Minister/Overlord went on record as saying something like "We deeply regret this tragedy and want to use this time to express solidarity with our American friends and neighbours." He said nothing of the explosion in Iraq.

I understand that there's a whole lot of tribalism and antediluvian thinking to overcome for people to value foreigners as much as they do compatriots, but for a national leader to address this incident and not one that killed dozens more is pure politicking. That's what they do. "Expressing solidarity" in public doesn't do anything besides manipulate the public. What we're supposed to read between the lines is that the Western world matters more than the rest, and, if we give these politicians first crack, the opinion that they express has a clear advantage.

Obama's character was on display, too. The tragedy of the year in the U.S. pales to the monthly Pakistani tragedy that he signs off on, but he's still ready to jump at the chance for good P.R. when it can do him some good. Do the people in power have free and exclusive reign over political discussion? They shouldn't.

Speaking of Obama, CNN displayed a headline that was something like "Obama Vows Punitive Action against the Perpetrators". Does this mean that he'll find somebody to pin it on if the real culprits don't turn up? If so, I'm sure that we'd have a hard time finding out about it and a lot of reactionary opposition.

A further reason why I don't think that it's in bad taste to discuss these things in a place like this so soon after the event is that the people who are involved in this probably don't care to sift through comments on a basketball forum.

[bigbadstevenson]

Chicago being patriotic as ****:

http://video.tsn.ca/?dl=main/latest/2/0/906197/clip/666

I find it really sad that people are using this to bolster patriotism.

On the flip-side of the coin of patriotism is division and segregation of humanity. That is what's responsible for so many terrorist attacks.

Maybe somebody will enlighten me, but I don't think that it's even known that the attack was because of an anti-American sentiment.

Patriotism is a sickness that sometimes has narrowly desirable side-effects. I confess to occasionally enjoying the relief of vomiting or a bout of light-headedness, but I sure as hell won't go around telling people that the flu is something to embrace.

[dballislife]

it was to send a message right infront of the UN flags, syria is at war, north korea wants to make nucs, and nobody even cares, the world isn't too safe right now

[Hook_Em]

What if they don't catch the people who did this??

[Henry Turner]

Very sad, dont know what else to say. ((
My heart and prayers go to Bostonians.

[L3GEND4RY]

How did those Romans go out? You want us to emulate their demise too?

You're not serious are you? Maybe you should brush up on your history. Sure, their legal system wasn't perfect but it wasn't their demise either. And I definitely wasn't alluding to the notion that we follow in their exact footsteps emulating every policy. Regardless, and all petty critiquing aside, the punishments really do need to start fitting the crime; on both ends of the spectrum. Individuals with the pettiest of offenses are incarcerated while those who commit atrocities are allowed lengthy trials at the expense of the tax payer. I'll leave it at that. Prayers go out to those in Boston. Stay strong.

[endo]

Get real. Not many things in America are as bad as things in developing countries. Race, class, religion plays a MUCH bigger role in the poorer countries in the world than it does in the US. They dont even get to complain about it in the media as much as we get to. They have to just keep their mouths shut and learn how to avoid the worst of it.

You heard more men are raped in America because no one else is reporting men being raped in other countries. If a woman is ashamed to report a rape what makes you think a manly man wants to report it? There is a lot less sympathy for male rape victims in the US let alone the **** countries of the world, hence the fewer numbers of man rapes we see reported worldwide.

The US prison problem can be easily helped by stopping the useless war on drugs and by stop being a society that gets turned on by violence and glorifies behavior that involves dominating other human beings either physically or mentally.

I'm not sure if you're agreeing or disagreeing with me here.

What's your point exactly?



America may be developed, but it is still a violent society.

And the idea that "You can tell a lot about a civilization/culture based on how they treat their criminals/prisoners" says a lot about American society.

Why are we incarcerating so many of our people?

Why are our prisons so violent?

Why do we indefinitely detain foreign combatants?

Why are certain areas of our urban centers no-go areas for outsiders?

Why is there a civil war along our southern border?

Why do people go into schools or movie theaters and gun down innocent civilians?

Why do we start wars in other countries?

ect....

There's is something seriously messed up with our culture.

[Frosty]

He was looking away and walking away from that scene and that sound.
"What would be the purpose of being on the roof anyways" That would be my first question too.

Rooftop is good for signal and coordination.

Coordinate what? "Ok light the fuse now!!!"
Do you know how IED's are detonated?

Uhhhh, do you? The complex ones are detonated via cell phone or radio. Sometimes there is a spotter/distraction to signal when to detonate. Not sure what kind of IED encounters you've had.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Pretty sure he was stating the obvious. You don't need to be on a roofto "coordinate" something you can do with a cell phone. And since the event is televised it's not like you couldn't do it from your living room.

[OldCeltics]

My friend was 5 min late to the point of explosion with his daughter.

[Pimpwerx]

What if they don't catch the people who did this??

You mean, what if the most-likely scenario unfolds? Nothing, man. Unless this was a remote-detonated device, via cellphone, I don't see how they can trace this. Security cam video of a person(s) making those drops is unlikely o give a detailed enough image to ID the one(s) at fault. Unfortunately, I don't expect them to ever find the ones responsible for this. I hope they do, though. PEACE.

[Antrim]

What if they don't catch the people who did this??

You mean, what if the most-likely scenario unfolds? Nothing, man. Unless this was a remote-detonated device, via cellphone, I don't see how they can trace this. Security cam video of a person(s) making those drops is unlikely o give a detailed enough image to ID the one(s) at fault. Unfortunately, I don't expect them to ever find the ones responsible for this. I hope they do, though. PEACE.

They absolutely are going to catch whoever did this. They already have someone in custody and have searched an apartment. I wouldn't be surprised if by today we all knew who did this.

[bigbadstevenson]

What if they don't catch the people who did this??

Obama's already promised that they would punish someone. Since most Americans seem to care about this much more than the closure of Guantanamo Bay, he might follow through on this promise. I think someone will go down soon - whether it's the guilty party or not.