Boston Globe
Letter to the Editor
Educators and other leaders often say that if you want people to act like adults, you have to treat them as adults. That’s an aspect of last week’s activities that should not go unremarked.
Just as with the blizzard in February, when drivers were urged to stay off the roads, government officials told us what they intended to do as they pursued the Boston Marathon bombing suspects. Equally important, they told us why they were doing it and asked our help in accomplishing it. They said they would update us as conditions changed, and they kept their word.
For our part, we judged their requests as reasonable, and almost uniformly we complied. The video footage I saw showed public safety people treating citizens with respect and concern, and citizens reciprocating.
As someone who had to “shelter in place” at work on Friday, I was relieved by the announcement in the afternoon that I could go home. However, I also realized that officials were thinking about all aspects of the situation.
Our leaders created a partnership with us in addressing the crises of last week. I believe that is one significant reason that the police, firefighters, and others involved were celebrated when the second suspect was captured.
Public safety requires public agreement and participation. I hope that this type of interaction continues to be repeated in future challenges to the safety and security of the Commonwealth.
Gregory A. Baryza
Newton