It is hard to be positive in the world we live in. While I could give a thousand examples of the destruction of our society and all the horrible things that happen in our world, that’s not the point. As I’m sure you all know, tragedy reigned over the Boston Marathon Monday. There’s no need to go into details here, but if you are unaware, two explosions occurred near the finish line of the marathon killing three people and seriously injuring upwards of 175, according to the New York Daily News. While this is a horrifying event, as are any and all tragedies of this nature, it makes me wonder how we’re supposed to keep going and leading normal lives in the wake of all the dangers in our world.
The Boston Marathon is one of the most celebrated events in the city, hosting somewhere around 600,000 people every year either as participants or spectators. The marathon is a symbol of strength and passion for all involved. Unfortunately, as has happened in the past, one or a few bad people ruin the lives of hundreds upon thousands of others. However, especially in this case, it wasn’t all the terror that overtook the event. The natural good in people prevailed and showed that hope and compassion are still present today.
It is sometimes hard to look past all of the evil in the world to find the good. How do we go about our daily lives with the fear of terrorism and horrific accidents looming over us every day? How do we judge people as good or bad? Should we be able to do that? Events like those at the Boston Marathon and others that day truly get me thinking about the good in others. I like to believe, and I hope many others share this sentiment: That people are not inherently evil. There are bad people in the world, but for every bad person there is a handful of good ones. It’s not to say the good will ever cancel out the evil, but it certainly restores my hope in my conviction. At the marathon, there were stories all over Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and all other social media outlets of the good people in the world reaching out to those who needed it. There was the story of the marathon runners who ran the extra two miles from the finish line straight to the hospital to donate blood. There were the cafes and restaurants all over the city opening up their doors with free food, water and power for those who needed it. People reach out and join together to remind us that there is good even in the worst of times.
We must be cautious, but we mustn’t doubt that there is good in the world; people are not inherently bad. There will always be bad people in the world and there is no way to avoid chance or being in the wrong place at the wrong time—life will happen as it will, but we must be confident in others and their tendency toward virtuosity.
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