Boston Bombing & Texas Explosion: After a Week Of Chaos, Americans Cannot Give Up On Humanity

This week brought news of explosions and lives lost in Boston and West, Texas, bringing together communities and people of different backgrounds. There is some hope in that humanity is not a waste, especially when strangers help those in need. A quote by Mister Roger’s that went viral this week reminded us that there is still some good left in the world. The key is to find that goodness within our hearts and reach out and help.

Those who have lost their lives or are suffering: you are not alone in your pain. Whenever pain is inflicted upon a small community such as that of West, Texas, the community not only mourns, but comes together. After Monday's bombing in Boston, the city of Boston came together as well as the running community. In this way, it is easy to see that we are all part of something larger. Each of us belongs to a community or group and those of that don’t force themselves upon a calm community making everyone slowly realize things cannot be taken for granted.

People need time to heal. To be able to gather together and know that in times of strife communities at least have each other is important. In Texas, people are grasping for air trying to make sense of what happened. The truth is, while explosions such as the one at the fertilizer plant may be more likely to occur than a bombing at a highly crowded event such as the Boston Marathon, it is still a fairly rare occurrence.

However, the event does draw attention to the fertilizer industry in America which as this article on the Washington Post’s WonkBlog points out the industry is growing and fast. This leads to questions on how deal with fertilizer needs, and possibly moving on towards breeding crops which are able to manage nitrogen. In Boston, the FBI is poring over photos and videos of two men and could use tips. In the aftermath of the explosion in West, Texas there are still many unaccounted for and the death toll is still being evaluated at this time but appears to be rising.

The point is: there is still much work to be done in both places. People are trying to piece together what they know to make sense of what happened. The grief is making those around the country wonder how many incidents must occur before there is simply no more hope left for humanity. If you want to help those in Boston, then here are list of charities you can donate to or support especially if you live in or around the Boston area. If you want to donate or help those in West, Texas, then there are plenty of ways to do that as well. You can organize fundraisers to send money, or simply collect items to send down to residents. For those that live near the area of West, Texas here are some emergency resources and donation sites which may be of help to you. May you keep safe.

At this point, the best thing that anyone can do is hope and rebuild. Rebuild for a better tomorrow and know not to give up on humanity, because there is still good just waiting to shine.