Audience: Boston area residents, freshly traumatized by the Boston Bombs.

Intent: to help my audience to move past the fear and revenge that they feel, to more constructive responses. Medium: blog post credited to Edit Schlaffer, Pat Bloom, Carol Rose, or John Alan Fox with me as the ghost writer. The intended time of publication is when the prosecutors for the Boston Bomb case announce whether they will ask for the death penalty (expected any day now). (Photo of Boston Bomb victim 8-year-old Martin Richard holding the sign he made before he died: "No more hurting people. Peace") Consider the request of 8-year-old Martin Richard who was killed by the Boston Bombers; he asks for peace. I would like social scientists to tell us how to stop terrorist attacks. Until they do, we are brainstorming and experimenting with new ideas. Security Expert Bruce Schneier reminds us on CNN that being attacked by terrorists is incredibly rare and much less damaging than car crashes, domestic violence or lightning strikes. However, as humans, we overreact "to the rare and spectacular." Therefore, we must look for ways to feel safer. How far are we willing to go to feel safe? Are we ready to take a journey away from where we are, to take on the challenge of being in a better place? Many people around the world are offering guidance. Businesses Respond Critical Intervention Services, Inc.in Florida appeals to businesses. They "provide expert guidance on...threat assessment, blast and weapon effects analysis, security evaluation, and countermeasures identification" to prepare for terrorist threats. Visual Analytics, Inc.in Maryland is another company that sells its services to businesses: they promote using intelligence to prevent terrorist activity. Another business, The Monterey Institute of International Studies in CA, is offering a Master's degree in Terrorism Studies . The students can "explore the nature of terrorism, the ideologies used to justify it and the organization, financing, and operational strategies and tactics used by terrorist groups,"among other issues and policies to help them "respond effectively to...terrorist threats." When we look at the guidance that businesses offer, we need to keep in mind that they are in business to make money; so, let's look further at ideas from people around the world and how those ideas can be adapted here at home. Global Responses On one online forum, women in India have been proposing solutions to terrorism: implement more international intelligence sharing report suspicious people to a nearby police station punish terrorists according to their reasons interfere with terrorist funding increase education, employment and incomes to increase resistance to being recruited for terrorism reduce poverty, inflation, bad parenting encourage the government to study why common people choose to terrorize

A stay-at-home mother agrees that children can be taught to identify certain people as their enemies and a threat to their people, and that terrorists are too well funded. She states that the only solution is to "fight hard and defend." Edit Schlaffer, creator of the global counter-terrorism platform Sisters Against Violent Extremism, tells of Pakistani women who are mothers and wives of extremist Islamic terrorists. They are working to join forces and rebel against the recruiters. She says that other Pakistani mothers are learning parenting skills to help them recognize early warning signs, and how to respond more effectively to prevent their children from being recruited. The a International Center for Peace and Spirituality in India sees that those trying to crush terrorism through warfare are proving ineffective. The webpage refers to the Islamic teachings of the Qu'ran as an "ideology based on peace" that can counter the ideology of terrorism. The website explains that the idea that Muslims have the duty to establish Islamic rule in the world is new, not one from the time of the Prophet Muhammad. The ideology of Islam is described as being intolerant of terrorism. Islam is defined as a peaceful religion with no room for violence. An example of peaceful resolution of terrorism occurred May 22, 2013 when a common citizen, Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, calmed down two terrorist attackers in London by engaging them in conversation in attempt to hear them explain their reasons for wanting to kill people as she waited for the police to arrive. This sounds like the peace that Martin Richard asked for. Schlaffer also shares the story of a group of family members of victims of the 9/11 attacks who "highlight the commonalities between themselves and families living in regions of the world within which terrorism constitutes a daily and very real threat." Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science Pat Bloom of Yale University similarly states, "Our best hope for the future is...an appreciation of the fact that, even if we don't empathize with distant strangers, their lives have the same value as the lives of those we love." Surveillance From a different angle, Defense/Foreign Policy Editor Terry Atlas and Supreme Court Reporter Greg Stohr reported for Bloomberg News that U.S. cities of all sizes want drones. These are small, unmanned surveillance aircraft currently being used to patrol the U.S. border. They also reported that law enforcers want to use camera networks with artificial intelligence software that could alert police to abandoned packages or recognized faces in time to prevent terrorist attacks. Carol Rose (executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts) warned in her blog that "if we choose to embrace these tools we need to ensure that our laws keep up to date with technological advancements, to ensure that our systems of checks and balances remains intact, and that the police don't start spying on people who they don't suspect to be involved in any criminal activity." Principal Consultant for the Building Services Research and Information Association Jeremy Towler pointed out that "the UK is the most surveyed country in Europe" even though, according to Atlas and Stohr, after 9/11, "U.S. cities have deployed video and other sensors purchased with the help of billions of dollars in federal counter-terrorism funding." They add that London still has many more closed-circuit television cameras than U.S. cities. The Boston Herald reported that Boston's police commissioner wants to use "eye-level street surveillance technology" and "a dedicated NYPD-style anti-terrorism unit." Boston Bomb Victims Respond Marathon runners are also asking for more video surveillance cameras. The July 2013 issue of Runner's World magazine is devoted to how people have been responding to the Boston Bombs. Runners have requests in addition to adding cameras. stop wearing headphones while running, to increase awareness of suspicious people and packages Susan Sered, Ph.D., a professor of sociology at Suffolk University in Boston said that it is human nature to unite over loss and death, and "running has a particular symbolic value. It's the ultimate doing-something. It's running toward, not running away." Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. John Cowin from Leesburg, Florida said he will return to the Boston Marathon, and advises people to keep running. "If you let these people scare us off

- if we go away - we will be encouraging them." It seems that runners, even people at the Boston Marathon this year, are planning to continue running; most indicated that they will continue running at this and other marathons. Race directors also want more cameras. However, this issue of Runner's World reported additional ideas that some race directors are implementing for future events: runners must use clear see-through bags for personal items stored during the race all bags, backpacks and purses are banned at the finish line area people must have tickets to be in the finish line area only registered runners can be on the race course side streets and sidewalks will be more restricted As you would expect, Boston newspapers have been publishing articles citing these ideas, and people have been freely sharing comments giving other ideas. Many are calling for brutal treatment of terrorists in attempt to deter anyone planning another attack. I would like you to consider what John Alan Fox (professor of criminology, law and public policy at Northeastern University) stated in his blog: the best solution might be for the terrorists to "see and hear of stories that reflect upon the strength and resilience of the people of this great city." This sounds like the kind of peace that Martin Richard asked for. - - - - I welcome any comments, suggestions, etc. that you have to offer. Thank you!