What Should the US Do?
This is another one of those cultural questions I’ve got for you guys.
If you watch the news at all, you probably noticed that there was a terrorist attack in Boston during the marathon. Two bombs went off, probably a “suicide bomb”. Coincidently, here is my latest video lesson on a suicide bomb
Anyway, here is a basic recap of what happened. Someone, or a group of people, decided to blow up some buildings during the famous Boston marathon yesterday. At least 3 people have died, including an 8 year old little boy. No one knows who did this yet, and obviously the US will do whatever they can do to find out who did this attack.
It’s a very sad and horrible thing when innocent people die for no reason. But we’re living in a world that still isn’t perfectly peaceful. Not even close. It’s pretty disgusting and pathetic that there is still war. It is amazing to me that humans are smart enough to make the Iphone, but not smart enough to figure out how to stop war and religious hate.
I’m very curious what the 232 international audience thinks of this. Any guess as to who did this? Why do you have this guess? What should the American government do when the find who did it? Should they start a war? Why or why not? Why does the US seem to get this kind of attack more than other countries? Is some of it their own fault in some way? Could this happen to any country or is their something “special” about the US that makes this type of attack more common?
We all watch different news, we all have a different education, we all speak different native languages and grew up in different cultures. It’s the perfect topic for this English learning blog. You can practice your English writing in the comments below, and we can learn from each other about what people from different parts of the world think.
What would you do if you were Obama? What would you recommend to him? I’m very very interested in what you guys think. There are of course no wrong or bad opinions. I don’t even know what I think yet. I am just curious to see what you guys (and girls) think about all this. Any opinions would be awesome! Let’s chat in the comments below. Please say where you are from to make it more interesting. Thanks guys 
April 16th, 2013 at 4:02 pm
No comments on the incident. Since Obama and other politicians only mention “Americans”. We will protect Americans. God bless America. I mean, they only care about their country and their citizens. So me being the citizen of Pakistan or you being a Canadian should not waste our time talking about this incident when Americans ” DO NOT GIVE A DAMN TO THE REST OF THE WORLD and LIVES OF OTHER CITIZENS.”
Everyday innocent people get killed by a drone strike in tribal areas of Pakistan. HOW MANY PRAYERS SAID BY AMERICANS FOR THEM AND HOW MUCH COVERAGE IT GETS ON AMERICAN MEDIA.
PS: ANDREW, SINCE YOU ARE A NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKER. PLEASE DEFINE “TERRORISM” FOR AN AVERAGE JOE.
THANKS A LOT.
April 16th, 2013 at 4:22 pm
Hi ASAD,
Thanks for your comments. I can see you are quite passionate about this. I understand what you mean.
I guess my question about “What should America do?” could be answered like, “Start treating the rest of the world with more respect”. I don’t think they need to always be in war. What can they do to stop this. Love them or hate them, they are a powerful country?
I think they really don’t understand why this is happening to them. Many Americans, not all, but many, believe this world is filled with “good guys” and “bad guys”. They want to kill the bad guys and save the good guys. It’s very simple thinking.
What can be done to change all of this? It’s very hard to define “terrorism” better than a dictionary could do, and I think that the American media uses that word far too often to justify hating certain people of other nations. I’m not sure what is going on in Pakistan with the drones, but it sounds horrible. Thanks again for your thoughts on this.
April 16th, 2013 at 6:00 pm
Hello
My name is Adel and I am from Israel.
We deal with such problem as terrorism often too.
I think some pealpe dont agree with notion of us so they try to show their point of view but why
Peaceful civils have to die in this fight.
I think each president will do what he can to protect his country
it is pity to see that person learned a lot fact about the galaxy but can’t learn to express their wills and opinion in democratic ways.
I would like to say thank you about your blog.
It helps to improve writing skills too
April 16th, 2013 at 8:25 pm
In my opinion the only one who is responsible for this attack is US government. They are the biggest terrorists. Maybe they need to start another war. Or maybe they use it as a distraction. We’ll see soon.
Very sad that innocent people have to suffer and die because of their political games. It’s like a chess. Sometimes you need to sacrifice a pawn to protect the king and to win the game.
Hope tomorrow police will not come and knock on my door for saying this.
It is just my personal opinion. And I’m from Ukraine.
April 16th, 2013 at 9:20 pm
I´m Mexican. People, who kill innocent people without the opportunity to defense themselves, are just a coward. They don´t have the courage to speak out their opinion. Or they are just a maniac without brain.
April 17th, 2013 at 5:55 am
We are very sorry to hear or watch that bad accident. any way people who do that are criminal
I am Egyption
April 17th, 2013 at 7:55 am
I suppose wars, terrorism and religious hate will never be stopped. At least not in foreseeable future. As Lenin said, first see who benefits.
April 17th, 2013 at 2:15 pm
This crime was probably done by a crazy person who carries the Devil Itself on his brain or he was sent by someone who looked for revenge for something damage caused by the US Government. Anyway, the criminal maust be judged and punished by the laws of the country where he practiced the crime. Any single person in thwoerd must be responsible for every act no matter if is one or a hundred years old. What do you think, China232 ?
April 17th, 2013 at 2:15 pm
that is a really heartless action, i don know why these kindda people want to hurt ordinary people since they are innocent. i think who do these actions are not human and also if these sort of actions happen every where, the authorities must not have any pity for their crime. i hope war will be stop someday soon,and only peace remain.
im from Iran
April 17th, 2013 at 11:02 pm
I’m from Brazil and I have the thougths as Larie from Ukraine has .
I think that the only thing they could do is to spread peace to everyone.
Until now they spread only hate .What kind of thing they could receive? Hate.
But I fell só sorry for the inocentes and for good Americans, who doesn’t have any guilt for the Governments acts..
Thank you for give us this chance to express our thougths .
April 18th, 2013 at 3:16 am
I think these happen more in US because people have more freedom, and also carring gun may exacerbate the issue. Its interesting that whenever something like this happen In US, all the world talk about it but these kinda accidents may happen every day in other countries, like the one happened in Iran recently ( 20 children were burned in the fire in an elementary school) and no body talked about it. As if othet people are not ad dear and valuable as Americans!That’s really mind blowing that how much USA affect all people in the world and get them to talk about them and pay alot of attention to them and feel for them. While they are not concerning about others much.
Thank u for ur blog. Its a good way to practice some writing and also share ideas
April 18th, 2013 at 8:01 am
Hi.
There is a question. What constitutes a nation? Actually people and What’s the duty of governors? To protect the people. The governors should not act in a way that threatens the people. Because the victim of all wars would be these people who have less role in setting a war.
When the manners and views of rulers changes toward a unity for peace, the news of brutalities will vanish.
From Iran
April 18th, 2013 at 10:30 am
I am from Brazil as well! I believe that these kinds of attacks in America happens because they think they are very powerful but the fact is that they are a controversial Country, there are so many mysterious behind all the facts, it is difficult to understand why so many bad things it is happening all over the world. As you said, we can do smart things like come up with an Iphone but we can’t thinks in a reasonable way to stop war! It is sad!
April 18th, 2013 at 12:48 pm
I’m from Colombia, i guess this kind of attacks happen in US because there is a lot of people angry with government, besides the option people have to carry and buy guns or equip like this influence for this attacks have more frequency, there is other area that i personally think influence for this kind of events, is the lack of moral and principles that people have grown up. I compare US with Colombia in this area and I see a big difference the way the young people grow up, example is the age young people stay with their family, in Colombia is very normal that guys and girls until 25 years stay in home with parents, I guess this event make people from Colombia be more calm. But I know people know that there is war in Colombia with some groups but in my concept this kind of groups have been working for too many years and they live in forest.
April 18th, 2013 at 1:15 pm
I am Korean American who live in US for about 8 years.
America is officially the strongest country in the world and no country wants to make the US as their enemy. But there still is a dogma that differenciate people as Christian and non – christian. Non Christian people are sometimes obssessed by their wrong religious belif and make a big mistake of suicide bombing. I want them to know that Iraq war was not broken out because of the differenciation of religion. I see many muslims and aethists everywhere in the US. They should know this suicide bomb can kill their people of same religion. Again, the US is not Christian country. I hope they are more rational so that not to try to kill any more of innocent people.
April 18th, 2013 at 4:15 pm
sometimes it’s ridiculous to see how Americans become obsessed for one things and they don’t care about the other important things.
gun violence claims more than 30 thousands lives on an annual basis and its threat is ubiquitous, but they don’t give a damn to it, because they are proud of their gun culture. but when it comes to a very rough and stupid pressure maker bomb who at the worst case scenario can get maximum more than 10 lives, Obama address the nation and every media over the globe becomes haunted by it.
April 18th, 2013 at 4:24 pm
I’m from Brazil, and I think the US really manipulates the rest of the world. I agree with Maribel when she says how mind blowing is their power. Tragedies like this happen all over the world, every day, and nobody talks about them. However, when it happens in the US, it becomes something really bigger.
Beyond that, the wars generated by US efforts to control the Middle West kill many people every day. We should be feeling for those killed in Boston, but we also should be feeling for those who live terrible lives in some countries which are in war BECAUSE of the US.
It’s the same when it comes to the issue with North Korea: ok, they’re wrong in threatening South Korea, but the real problem the US have over this is because they don’t want nobody else to have nuclear power.
I think nuclear power is stupid and it shouldn’t exist at first place. But the US thinks it’s the only country that can have it, and the American press portrays countries like North Korea and Iran as bad ones just because they’re trying to do the same. Politics is not a fairy tale, there’s no good and bad.
April 18th, 2013 at 5:27 pm
I’m from Hungary. My belief is special, I agree every religion and every culture.
I guess US is search the possibility to war. Because war is a huge business to the american moguls. The idea of terrorism in the US is nothing more than a cause for the senate give more money to the army.
My proposal is need more consciousness to the american people. They have to know that the news are lying to them, the Hollywood movies lying to them, the videogames lying to them, etc. US is one of the most powerful country, however the americans are very fear from everybody. I think if an average people buy a gun and he/she not goes to war, he/she is fear. They have no fear! But the american media says they have to fear. All that is a lie.
I think people have to do something and not waiting for the governments. And this idea is apply to all countries in the world.
The change is starting in ourselves. Not in the streets but in the hearts. I recommending to everyone the Peace Factory by Ronny Edry from Israel.
April 18th, 2013 at 5:56 pm
I hope capitalism oneday could give a chance to poor people all over the world. Because poorness and lack of education borns wrong behaviors. God bless innocent civilians, they are only living their life.
April 18th, 2013 at 10:00 pm
Guys,
Everything is about money. I agree with Alexey. I`m Russian too. There is nothing to do with being smart to create ipones and being not able to stop wars. People earning a lot of money on wars. It`s a huge business. Bad thing is that innocent people suffering for nothing or getting killed.
April 19th, 2013 at 3:55 am
I’m from Mongolia. I live been America over 6 years. I think all over world changed lots. 20 more years ago, people was truly believed almost everything, now is different who else get news just on time they got it. People getting smart and getting stupid. But think about it.
April 20th, 2013 at 7:51 pm
Hi
You told he(she) was 8 years old.
Yes,It’s absolutly horrible. I think guilty must be punished.
but who is the real guilty? who is managing the killing of peaple?
Maybe this is a game. Managers are playing whith our thoughs to mislead us to do whatever they want.
Do you khow how many little boy or girl ( also less than 8 years old) are killing in the world (Afghanestan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, …) by US army or US government?
I’m waiting for the real peacfull WORLD.
April 21st, 2013 at 2:17 pm
Hi,
I must admit that cops have made a great and quick job by identify those 2 terrorists.
Once again those acts have been committed by “religious” or more accurately by those who’s clam from a religion….
American people often believe that US is more spotted by terrorist than other country, I thought that it’s partially false. The same day of Boston attack , there were 18 terrorist attacks in Irak. Of course one suicide bomb in US is more viewable then elsewhere. That’s what those mad brothers were looking for…
I also want to point that fire weapons kill more american innocents than all the terrorist attacks US is suffering…
But still the Senat doesnt want to limit or even require a kind of licence to be authorize to buy guns…!! The result of the powerful lobby of NSRA !!!!!