Boston bombings

  Image:   boston.cbslocal

I was just looking at the image of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on a news  site when my daughter rang. "I can't believe he did it. He looks so young, so innocent, so untouched," I was saying. "That's the whole point , Mum. Bombers just don't look like bombers." " But he is so innocent looking. I am sure it cannot be him. " "Mum, a bomber isn't going to look like a bomber. That's the whole point and why we end up in these messes. Bombers are anyone and they can look as nice as they like. " It troubles me when I look at  Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's face that he could be capable of something so awful at such a young age. Not just the marathon bombings but all which has happened since. Boston is a city about the size of Melbourne and when I was listening to the news conference after they had finally caught Dzhokhar Tsarnaev then I was thinking it is just incredible a 19 year old can hold 4 million people or more to ransom. Granted he had a brother who was also a suspect. I need him to be a suspect. Sometimes it comes across as though he is it.  Guilty. They are it. Guilty. The two brothers wreaked all this havoc  and pain on lives and brought a city into hell. It's hard to know when you are on the other side of the planet how this is actually playing out. Are they suspects? Or is it like Anders Brevik? They are so clear about the two of them being implicated that a trial would really only confirm what they know? Suspects or not, then Tamerlan and Dzohokhar Tsarnaev have been so dangerous. It's the Boston police commissioner, Edward Davis, who really impressed me this morning in the news conference. When  I saw how many people were entitled to speak at the news conference I became aware of what a massive and tough operation this had been. Clearly everyone had played their part, including the public, and clearly there was a good feeling of being with  a safe and competent network of reliable colleagues. Edward Davis was asked a question at one point and suddenly he articulated for me all that had been the real achievement of this grueling,  ongoing,  hell-sent event . I knew it was awful .I knew it was tense. I knew it was hard, but Edward Davis' words took flight and crystallized the essence of what had made it so gruelling and yet such an amazing human achievement as well. He said the local police were not used to things like this. He said the officers were being asked to deal with something which was very dangerous and not part of their routine as Boston and Watertown police. He said Sean Collier had responded to a police call and then was caught up in circumstances which ultimately took his life. Sean Collier was the 26 year old MIT officer who was killed. Edward Davis then allowed me to have some clarity in this swamped head of mine. Boston is like Melbourne. What has happened is hideous and way over the top. Yet these officers have been out there, co operating as a team and the public has worked with them, to bring peace and safety back to the city. Officers like Sean Collier. So young and yet he did what he did to help protect others. The firefighters in Texas also lost their lives in the front line trying to help with the fertiliser factory explosion. So , really, we need to take the time to realise what these officers do for us and the risks they take to help keep us safe. Our police , fire fighters and surf life savers are no different. On Thursday we have Anzac Day and we shall remember those lost in war but we need to also shine the light and care onto these service people who put themselves literally in the line of fire to help protect us, even when it is unfamiliar and unyielding ground. We need a day to honour them.

So, who's the President?

When the time comes, America will choose the president it wants. The presidential elections are being followed over here. Last time they followed the French ones as well, which are on again, but I have seen nothing about those this time. At this point I have to say the presidential elections in both countries are nothing like the last time. It is not as interesting for us and it is not as dynamic. For both countries  it was a very trying but important time. The same applied to us. In the end Twitter went off like a rocket and the whole world welcomed Barack Obama. This doesn't seem to be being taken into account this time. What the world thinks doesn't seem to be important this time. The Americans can choose who they want and they will. What matters to us is what has occurred with Barack Obama. The world has embraced him. They genuinely like him and his wife, Michelle. Everyone is talking about how fit she is now and how natural and then how she did all those push ups on TV. We watched it or we caught up with the video. This is a very likeable first lady who has a lot of personal strength.She is part of the presidential image in a very real way. Kids know Barack Obama and they like him. While they are focussing on who to pick, the Americans may well forget that who they pick has an impact on us. America sees itself as a world leader. People tend to think of it as a country which can have good leadership qualities. They can also think of it as a country which pushes its weight around. Barack Obama has done so much to soften this approach because people warm to him, can relate to him and they can relate to his family. The only time they don't relate to him is when he comes in as the talking suit on some predecided governmental position. He sounds very ordinary. When he is himself and he can talk as himself he gets through. He is a communicator and so many nations and so many age groups can identify with him and where he is coming from. We know he isn't perfect and we know he is not always right but he is someone we like a lot and we value his approach. If Barack Obama is not re-elected I shall actually miss him. He has made a significant impact on world politics and has started to draw nations together because he knows how to work with different cultures. So far I have seen no other candidate who would suit the 21st century and that has to be someone who can have a good global impact as well as a good impact on their home turf. I wish him well in his campaign.