On the recordApril 10, 2014
1 year ago I rose to speak in this Chamber. I rose with a heart heavy with mourning and yet filled with gratitude because 1 year ago cowards set off bombs at our beloved Boston Marathon, trying to terrorize our city, but Boston responded with courage and community. Today I rise with a heart filled with the spirit of healing and restoration to commemorate the anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing and celebrate the strength and character of the people of Boston. One year ago terror knocked on Boston's door. It was not just the momentary terror of smoke and sound but the terror of uncertainty and speculation, the terror of siege and lockdown. Such terrors can break a people's spirit. They seek to do no less. But Boston was fearless. Our first responders, our protectors and investigators, our heroes, our citizen heroes, our families, our friends, and our neighbors--we did not waiver. In that moment when all the world had its eyes upon us, we responded with a cry of defiance, not of fear. Scripture says: ``Be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.'' In the last year we have seen what bravery and strength and love can do. Friends and family, classmates and teachers have come together to keep alive the memories of Krystle Campbell, Lu Lingzi, Martin Richards, and Sean Collier, and to celebrate their lives and to promise they will live on in our hearts.…
