Do Not Let the Terrorists Become a Nightmare in People's Minds

The Boston Marathon bomb attacks resulted in a tragedy that caught the attention of the global media, with hundreds injured or dead. Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama equally expressed deep concern and condolences to the innocent civilians killed in the bombing. Many people heard about the terrible events unfolding through the Internet, and they felt both shocked and angry. They held a moment’s silence and said a prayer.

It is terrible that this despicable terrorist attack has claimed the lives of three people, including a Chinese citizen, while hundreds of people were injured. Caring people around the world have held memorials, praying for the civilians killed in the bombing. They would like “the dead to rest in peace, and for us to live strong," and they also send wishes to the parents of the victims that they will quickly get through “the most difficult times.”

After the Boston bombings and various forms of terrorist attacks, good and peace-loving people need to issue the strongest possible condemnation of terrorism. In order to ensure the safety of good people they need to show this strong support. Perpetrators of terror and their bloody, cruel, mean attacks on innocent civilians are the most shameful and most hateful, because their attacks are devoid of humanity. These crimes are unacceptable. As Obama said, the killing of innocents is "vile and cowardly"* behavior.

While people were still immersed in the shock of the Boston bombings, we heard of another explosion at a fertilizer plant in the state of Texas. After a series of two to three bombings, this has gotten people thinking about public safety. While the dead rest in peace, the U.S. is dealing with a “when it rains, it pours” situation. Have the explosions blown a hole in public safety?

Explosions and these kinds of things are big disasters, and their consequences and social impact are extremely bad. Bombings not only cause huge losses of life and property, but they also reduce people’s sense of security and cause them to feel pressured and panicked. Large, crowded public places have always been the targets of terrorist sabotage and attacks. These extremists, in order to take revenge on society and create an impact, use explosions, poisoning, assassinations and other serious violent means to carry out criminal activities so that the safety of innocent civilian lives is placed in grave danger. Their extremely cruel means are malignant and cut deep, causing serious harm to public safety and inflicting severe psychological wounds on certain people. The Boston bombings and the Fudan poisoning case — these are bloody reminders that terrorists are the entire world’s enemy.

The marathon is a symbol of joy and a peaceful sporting activity, and it has nothing to do with politics and nothing to do with hatred. The terrorists detonated a bomb at a sporting event, maiming innocent athletes in a pool of blood. These violent terrorist acts cannot be tolerated by any country or government. In the face of the most vicious, frenzied criminals, there must be no hesitation or soft-handedness, and the law must be carried out immediately and fully. Currently, the U.S. government lists the Boston bombing as a "terrorist act," vowing to track down the killers and bring them to justice. This is sufficient to exemplify the sanctity of law.

Public safety is the foundation of social development. This alone will create a harmonious, stable, civilized and advanced society where people can live and work in peace and contentment, and the modernization of the country can be successfully achieved. We should always remain sober-minded in order to mobilize all social forces and have strict precautions to crack down on all kinds of violence and terrorist activities. We cannot leave these “terrorists” any place to hide and cannot leave these “terrorists” any opportunities. We must firmly support counterterrorism efforts, resolutely safeguard social stability and firmly defend our interests.

Let the sun illuminate the world, and let us hope the world stays well — do not let the terrorists become a nightmare in people’s minds.

*Editor’s note: The original quotation, accurately translated, could not be verified.