During the recent lockdown in Boston, my friend said that officials there should declare martial law. That’s the way totalitarian states do things, not in a democracy. In fact, the people of Boston and the safety officials there are to be greatly praised for their attitude and perseverance in the face of danger. While it is true that public transportation services were shut down, the people were asked — not told — to remain indoors while the hunt for the marathon killers was under way.
Safety officials — local, state and federal — are to be praised for their actions. These public safety officials, some 9,000 at one point, did a superb job in their efforts to track down, and fortunately capture one of the suspects from whom we can seek answers as to why this all happened.
Undoubtedly, there were those citizens who armed themselves in their homes, but it was the “well regulated militia” of coordinated public safety officials who stopped the danger and kept the people of Boston safe.
Michael L. Burton
Vancouver
