The Boston Tragedy: A Secret Failure and a Public Success

Pablo Reynoso Brito

American Society

24/04/13

Nothing is so bad that it has no good, some people say.  If we try to look carefully, some results of the recent and deplorable terrorist attack in Boston, can also offer positive facts of American Society. Although the dead of several innocent persons and the direct attack to the peace and serenity of the Bostonian and American citizens are facts that few human beings could enjoy. Evidently, preemptive services failed, but the experience can show us some things that can be regained. In the following lines I will state that the recent debates about national security (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/cia-pushed-to-add-boston-bomber-to-terror-watch-list/2013/04/24/cf02b43c-ad10-11e2-a8b9-2a63d75b5459_story.html) have shown some characteristics of a transparent and well organized society. The relation between secrecy and public accountability seems to be working. Trying to look beyond the negative even during the worst crises can be a virtue.

To avoid misunderstandings, I do not defend the action of killing innocent people whose only sin is to finish a marathon in the wrong timing. What I am trying to highlight, is the response of a society to this unacceptable circumstance. Debates among the legislative power and the public opinion have emerged. Senators have just questioned Janet Napolitano, the homeland security secretary, about the misuse of information about the bombers of the recent attack in Boston.[1] Newspapers, politicians and other actors have talked frankly about the recent violent event. The Openness, critiques and public debate that followed the episode can be a sign of a healthy democratic system.

One of the most difficult issues of contemporary democratic societies is the relation between secrecy and overture in terms of security. It is difficult to delimitate which kind of information should be published for public accountability without sacrificing the efficiency of security institutions. Unlike other countries, the United States has a strong tradition for publicly debating these problems. The subject is so controversial, that even some newspapers have a special section for this issue. Security problems are openly discussed by different actors among the country, ranging from journalists and scholars, to civil organizations and government members. The country has a culture and legislation of openness and transparence when it is time to debate about such a fundamental issue as national security, and there is no doubt that this has been seen in the last days. In the American Society, we can have an example of how to attain a mix between secrecy and openness, whether this is beneficial or harmful.

Conclusion

The fact that the efficiency of the security institutions in the U.S. has been questioned due to the recent attacks[2] offer a clear vision about the public importance of national security issues for American Society. It seems that even when it is about secrecy and classified information, the society and government enter to an open and transparent debate. Therefore, to analyze and follow the recent events about the Boston bombings and particularly its consequences can provide a deep example about the behavior of the society of this country. The response to this crisis, the open critique to particular government institutions, and the feedbacks for the security system and society, can be a positive fact in this experience, and a clear example for other countries.  

 

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[1] CIA Pushed to Add Boston Bomber to Terror Watch List. Available at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/cia-pushed-to-add-boston-bomber-to-terror-watch-list/2013/04/24/cf02b43c-ad10-11e2-a8b9-2a63d75b5459_story.html

[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/us/tamerlan-tsarnaev-bomb-suspect-was-on-watch-lists.html?hp&_r=0