I can't relate

Yesterday (4/15/2013) was the Boston Marathon and a little before 3 pm, near the finish line, two bombs went off, killing at least 3 (including an 8 year old boy) and injuring more than 100.

There are some experiences and emotions that are beyond my ability to relate to and properly understand. The example I normally use is hunger… I am fortunate to live in the U.S. where my family or I have always have the skills, resources and knowledge to maintain a healthy diet, even during times of unemployment. This is not the case for some people I know who have experience periods of great deprivation. Contrast the experience of hunger to understanding how a person can become so enraged and angered as to perpetrate an instance of violence; it's similar to a child throwing a tantrum, to be so caught up with your emotions that your actions are not under rational control.

Going back to the bombing, this is an example of something I find myself unable to relate to. What can drive someone to such sustained anger that they can plan and execute a frigid attack targeted at random innocent bystanders? How is this restitution for their received slights, insults or losses of any type, size or duration? What does stealing the life and future of an eight year old child contribute to such causes other than discredit?

I have lost a dear to violence by a stranger. Aside from the painful realization that the sun still rises and the time still marches forward in their absence was understanding how powerless I/we were in light of our loss. There was no way to fix this, no one anywhere could do anything to correct this, including destroying the perpetrator. If anything, holding onto the anger would damage us.

I have no answers or solutions for the victims, perpetrators or other Americans. I would just say to the victims… continue your lives with as much grace and dignity as you can conjure and direct your anger to productive directions. To the perpetrator(s), I would say… you are battling the wrong war. The true war is within yourselves and you need to direct your energy there. Your destructive actions cannot and will not fix what ails you. To the rest of us… what are we doing that germinates and nurtures this kind of anger? We Americans did not make or set off these bombs but we certainly have made someone(s) angry enough to target them at us.