OpEd by George Aaron Cuddy: Special to South End News

December 7, 1941

November 22, 1963

September 11, 2001

These infamous dates, indelible in the psyche of America's citizenry, demand we hearken to generational losses of innocence. Our collective progression of feelings for each began with shock, moved to anger, then evolved into outrage that became the catalyst for action. We joined the service, we flew our flags at half-staff, we held candlelight vigils, we prayed, and we boasted--while beating our chests--a triumphant cry of "Never again!"

We, or at least some of us, also profited. Many were left behind. Others still, especially the objective and cynical sort, were left scratching their heads at bizarre developments that emerged from these catastrophes.

Which brings us to April 15, 2013.

The horrific scene on Boylston Street brought the attention of the world to Boston and we reacted with immeasurable heroism: first responders included medical personnel, volunteers, spectators, and runners just finishing their 26.2-mile endurance test. Our police and fire departments had their finest hours, so too the many state and federal agencies that deftly and cohesively coordinated a massive investigation.

From late afternoon of the subsequent Thursday until evening of the next day, Boston experienced 28 hours of paralysis during an unprecedented manhunt. At the conclusion of the week, four innocent victims had been murdered, hundreds were maimed or severely injured, one terrorist was dead, and another was in custody.

Impromptu displays of support with flowers, signs, and collections of running shoes blossomed at the intersections where Boylston meets both Arlington Street and Massachusetts Avenue, the nearest routes still allowing traffic and pedestrians around the impact zone. President Obama visited our city and One Fund Boston was created to provide services to help the survivors and victims' families.

To date, $71.3M has been raised via donations from nearly 195,000 people around the globe.

The healing had begun. Yet, amid the splendor of recovery efforts, so had profiteering.

Just hours after the bombing, two Emerson College students named Chris Dobens and Nick Reynolds created blue and yellow "Boston Strong" t-shirts. The efforts of Messrs. Dobens and Reynolds have, indeed, turned out to be altruistic: they have raised over $1M to help support victims of the terrorist attack.

"We developed Boston Strong off of Livestrong and Army Strong because it was something simple people could get behind," remarked Reynolds to USA Today.

The idealist, of course, revels in the beauty and innocence of Reynolds' statement. The skeptic parses the sentence and raises an eyebrow about the omission of the word "that" between simple and people.

Though Reynolds certainly meant no disrespect, he unwittingly foreshadowed what was to develop.

Boston Strong has become a cult of personality and anyone who questions either its message or validity faces certain scorn and ostracism. The neurosis of a typical Red Sox fan prior to October '04 (one often found sobbing head-in-hands with dismay after a loss on Opening Day despite that fact that 161 games remained in the baseball season) seems appealingly palatable now compared to this slogan's exploitation and, worse yet, the people who exploit it.

The motif has an over-exuberant omnipresence that has infested every aspect of life in our city at the expense of recognizing tangible problems no one seems willing to address.

"Rub a little Boston Strong on it and all of your troubles will disappear," said the traveling liniment salesman.

We have an elixir in Boston Strong that does not involve a remedy for the homeless couple asleep on the ground, under a tarp, next to a plastic bottle half-filled with their own urine in the annex between the Back Bay Station and the underbelly of Neiman Marcus. Just one flight of stairs above, of course, is a kiosk selling merchandise that has as much a chance of benefiting victims and their families as I do of ever winning the Boston Marathon.

Boston Strong is like "Let's Roll!" on steroids, but it is even worse because both the native and transplanted Bostonian already possesses an inherent chip on the shoulder that has either been passed down genetically from generation to generation or acquired osmotically after inhabiting our city for about three months. We adore ripping on New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles with the same vehemence that a serf would the lord's estate, as if ridiculing and despising that which we can never become (read: cosmopolitan, cultured, aesthetically-pleasing, and sane) will further validate our knuckle-dragging lot in life.

With just a small percentage of Mayflower descendants and celebrity icons excluded, Boston is still both the uptight resident and meathead capital of America. We might be the birthplace of democracy and home to the nation's finest collection of educational institutions, but the reality is that John and Jane Q. Citizen can only feel truly connected to something bigger than themselves by wearing matching hoodies of remembrance.

The problem with Boston Strong is not its original connection to the pain and suffering of the victims. Instead, it is with the continued proliferation of marketing its message without any concern for the exploitation of the same. Including the slogan is now de rigueur for furniture stores and car dealers in their advertising. Profits made on the blood and suffering of others in this manner is deplorable, yet hardly a breath of dissent is heard due to the emotional impact of the two blasts on that fateful day.

Our creation of the Boston Strong legend is becoming a Pyrrhic victory for the long-term welfare of our city. We are chumps.

It is far easier to focus one's energy on a rallying cry than to consider wealth inequality. Who wants to bother grasping how the wealthiest 1% in the USA own 40% of the assets while the bottom 80% own 7% or less?

And who cares about homelessness growing 3.8% in Boston from 2012 to 2013 when the public relations department of the Boston Bruins can repeatedly invite victims and first responders to pregame presentations concurrent to the team placing a 25% to 40% increase on season ticket prices?

The intent here is not to diminish the harsh realities experienced by the victims, nor the exemplary actions of so many brave men and women who put themselves in the line of fire to protect our city. They are the ones our focus should be upon at all times, plus the first responders, emergency room personnel, and caregivers at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Charlestown. Nor is it to stop recognizing and honoring Boston's heroes at public gatherings: we were not presented with a playbook on how to psychologically repair ourselves from this type of situation.

Alarm emanates from the fact that instead of being strong for one's community each and every day, we experience Boston's pomposity in bragging about its strength on oft counterfeited t-shirts. Few will brag, though, that murders in Roxbury increased 64% between 2012 and 2013.

In Louisiana recently to run a half marathon, I encountered a vendor at the event expo in Baton Rouge selling bumper stickers in blue and yellow colors that read "The Boston Marathon. April 15, 2013." Identifying myself as a member of the Boston Athletic Association, I asked what percentage of sales from these products were going to One Fund Boston.

I received stunned silence in return, followed ten seconds later by a sheepish response about how he was "pretty sure someone got permission." There may have been a "y'all" or two thrown into the mix, but that's off-topic.

My concern at that moment was the thought process behind the decision to create the bumper sticker in the first place.

"Rampant, post-tragedy opportunism is the American way," said historian David Keese. "Those who question it are easily vilified."

The terror attack at the 2013 Boston Marathon turned my favorite day of the year into the worst day of my life. I was at Copley Square when the bombs exploded and, aside from comforting a few runners who had just crossed the finish line, my involvement was minimal. I was not a first responder, but I did watch their efforts. They were spectacular.

I saw blood and body parts on the ground and heard the wails of the injured. What I remember most is the sight of so many white-jacketed medical tent volunteers rushing into the fray completely focused and unconcerned with the possibility of further detonations. No one was thinking about copyrighting a slogan or making a buck in the immediate aftermath of the attack while performing lifesaving techniques on the wounded. That came a few hours later from others far from the scene.

It is possible, Boston, to be strong without constantly telling everyone how strong you are. Best of all, you do not have to pay for it.