Acts Of Terror Affect Us All
The aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings has resulted in one of the most painstaking criminal investigations we have ever seen.
Even as families attempt to bury their dead or help the wounded heal, once again an act of terror has permanently scarred the American psyche. The vast majority of us will never be able to participate in or attend a marathon and possibly any other sporting event without wondering if we or our loved ones are safe and secure.
It is the worst of what a terrorist does, that shattering of our confidence in the most basic sense of our physical well-being. It does-n’t much matter who was responsible or what their motivation, though these are things that have to be discovered and dealt with resolutely.
And while justice may be served, the problem can never be fixed. The world just becomes a scarier place.
For those who live in Hawaii, there are the Honolulu Marathon and Iron Man Triathlon to start, major golf events, UH football games and the Pro Bowl, and the numerous youth tournaments that draw thousands from the Mainland and elsewhere. There will be increased security costs and terrible anxiety anytime large groups gather.
Any terrorist should know one thing: You’ll make us nervous, for sure, but you’ll never stop us from joining together and celebrating all that inspires in the human spirit.
* The news that former Rainbow pitcher Steven Wright has been called up to the Boston Red Sox is a great story of perseverance and strength of will.
When Wright was selected out of the supplemental draft, it was as a power pitcher in the Cleveland Indians organization. From 2007 to 2012, Wright labored for Indian minor league teams. He was a member of the Lake County Captains, Kinston Indians, Akron Aeors and Columbus Clippers.
When, in 2011, it seemed his career had stalled, Wright decided to try the knuckleball. It became his primary pitch, and last July he was traded to the Red Sox organization, where he has been under the tutelage of former Red Sox knuckler Tim Wakefield.
Last Tuesday, he was called up by the parent club for closer Joel Hanrahan. Wright is usually a starter and is definitely not a closer, so the Red Sox will have to figure out how to use him.
And his first game in a Red Sox uniform featured the team that drafted him, the Cleveland Indians, in the other dugout. Might be tough for Wright to stay up when Hanrahan returns from the DL, but expect Wright to stay the course and continue to work on throwing the hardest pitch to throw or to hit in all of baseball.
* This Wednesday will be a special morning on the Bobby Curran Show at ESPN 1420. It is our annual NFL draft show featuring Honolulu Star-Advertiser assistant sports editor Curtis Murayama, who has been putting out a mock draft since 1971 and often bests the national pundits.
Tune in at 6 a.m. and scratch that football itch!
