"To see ourselves as the victims of a randomly cruel universe didn’t offer much comfort. Existentialism is unsettling.So the marathon became the scapegoat, a symbol of extravagance and political insensitivity.

How dare the City hold an event celebrating hope and possibility when we are suffering? Crusading was cathartic. We were powerless – some literally and some paralyzed by incalculable challenges. Protesting offered an outlet. We couldn’t resurrect the dead and we couldn’t rebuild homes, but we could complain. At least it felt like we were doing something. And we succeeded. Sadly, what we accomplished only makes us worse off.

If the marathon was to be an exercise in frivolity, what are we to make of vitriolic editorials and self-righteous Facebook groups? Are we now to forgo all activity just because someone is less fortunate? 46,000 New Yorkers are homeless every day – should the rest of us give up our homes? If others are hungry, should we not eat? If a neighbor is unemployed, are we to quit our jobs, too?