“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
Mister Rogers’ moving words are as useful today as they were when he first uttered them decades ago. They have been tweeted and retweeted many thousands of times Monday and Tuesday as we all come to grips with the horrific terrorist attack that came at the end of the Boston Marathon Monday.
The death toll, as we go to press, stands at three. Whether it be three families or three thousand, the pain is equal for each one. Many of us here in Lower Manhattan know terrorism far too well so our hearts go out to the grieving families, the hundreds of injured and to the entire city of Boston, which had its most special day, Patriots’ Day, attacked.
We hope and expect that anyone responsible for the murders will be brought to justice quickly.
Though the attack — thankfully — was no 9/11, it nevertheless made some of us stop and recall some painful memories from over a decade ago.
True to Fred Rogers, once again there were hundreds of people helping, from the emergency responders to the volunteer runners who summoned the strength to help after a grueling 26 miles.
Twelve years ago, we were inspired by the countless acts of kindness from our neighbors around the corner and from all over the world. The spirit of working together.
We saw that spirit reemerge again last year as we and other communities were hit by Hurricane Sandy.
We have little doubt that the great city of Boston will also show great resolve.
“This tragedy is not going to stop Boston,” Mayor Thomas Menino said. “We will not let terror take us over.”
He’s right. We’re not about to start rooting for the Red Sox, but our message to Boston: We are with you.
