What do we know?

I was all set to post something about National Library Week, but then, as you might have heard, bombs went off right next to the Boston Public Library in Copley Square on the same day that a fire broke out in the mechanical room of the JFK Presidential Library, only five or six miles away.

It’s doubtful that the bombs were targeting the public library—there was a fairly important event going on at the time—or that the fire was connected to that act of detached brutality.

Both events might be connected to Patriot’s Day, though the fire might simply be an oddly-timed coincidence.

At the time of this post, we really don’t know who or why.

We know people were badly hurt.

We know some of them died.

We know that this was not an accident.

We know that in the next few weeks, haters will hate, screamers will scream, blamers will blame, fingers will point, asses will be made of you and of me, and the deplorable state of humanity will be castigated and lamented.

We know that the monster or monsters who did this will gleefully creep back into the shadows to enjoy the chaos and the collateral damage.

We know that even if they are caught, they cannot possibly be brought to justice, because they will be incapable of admitting or understanding or learning why their actions cannot possibly be justified.

But.

We also know that the Red Cross site crashed, overwhelmed with donations.

We know that the blood banks in Boston are full.

We know that offers of aid are still pouring in and that the London marathon has not been cancelled and runners have vowed that they will not be stopped.

We know that the downtown library of Boston is closed today, but will be open tomorrow and that the JFK Library and Museum has remained open.

We know that life can go on, even though it breaks our hearts, and that fear won’t win if we don’t allow it to steal our strength.

These are good things to know. It’s good to know that there are good things to know.

You know?