Tuesday
morning I was awakened by a frantic phone call from one of my neighbors telling me
bombs are going off in Boston. As I poured over news online and called family
and friends from home, a deep sickened feeling slowly settled into my stomach
and horror and disgust washed over me. Neighbors came over and asked me what
was going on, everywhere I went in my village for several days people asked me
questions about the bombs that I simply couldn't, and can't, answer. I am told
repeatedly that my home is not safe, that I should buy plane tickets for my
family and move them to my village in Thailand. Here I am safe, I am protected,
I am loved. My friends here question how I can love Boston so much, how I can
want to go back there. They ask me why this happened, who did it. Why do people
hate America, why do people want to hurt us? They start talking about the
bombers being Muslims, and suggest that I must hate all Muslims and be scared
of them. They mention how all Muslims in America right now must be scared to leave
their homes, how we must want to hurt them, to exact revenge. I try to explain
that I do not blame events like this on an entire group of people, but on the
few who actually committed and helped plan the crime.
I
struggle to come to grips with what happened, work through my horror, my grief,
my worry for my family and my friends. At the same time I know I have to say
something to the people in my village. I need to explain to them that that is
my home, that it is a part of me, and that while there are crazy, evil people
out there, overall we are good. I tell them to watch the news and see the
people running to help. Look at all the police, medical personnel, good
samaritans who put their lives at risk. America is good, it is full of loving,
amazing people. Every country has the crazies, the people who hurt others,
murder, rape, and rob. But I believe that every single country has more good
than evil. When something like this happens and no one runs to help is when we
really need to start to worry. When someone is raped or killed and there are bystanders that don’t step in is when real evil rears its head.
The
third goal of Peace Corps is to help increase the understanding of Americans
to host country nationals. This is my chance to do just that, to help them see
past the horror and see a city, a country, that pulled together and is forming
a unified front to get through this horrendous time. I want them to see the
Americans of different religions, different races that ran to help and continue
to offer support. I want them to see the Carlos Arredonondos of the world. I
am the only American they actually know, the only real example they have of
what Americans are like. I want them to be able to look at me, and the friends
and family that come visit my village, and see examples of the good in America.
I hope that they will be able to see beyond our village, beyond this country,
and recognize how many good people there are in the world and how that good can
always overcome the evil. I want them to see that this horrible event hasn't
filled my heart with hate. I don't hate the country these brothers were born
in, or their religion.
While
I will never be able to explain this tragedy to my friends and family here in
Thailand, I hope that they will be able to see the good that becomes evident
when evil strikes. I hope that they will be able to understand why I love my
home, my city, and the amazing strength and courage that Bostonians showed after the bombings.
