TITLE: In memory of those killed in the bombings at the Boston Marathon, in support of those injured, and in honor of those who rendered aid to the victims of that tragedy.

SUMMARY: In memory of those killed in the bombings at the Boston Marathon, in support of those injured, and in honor of those who rendered aid to the victims of that tragedy.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Words cannot adequately express the deep shock and sadness felt by all Texans over the tragic events at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, and we pause to remember those who died and to honor those who risked their own lives to come to the aid of the injured; and WHEREAS, The Boston Marathon has been held every spring since 1897, with elite athletes and dedicated amateurs from around the world gathering in a festive spirit of friendly competition and a celebration of the joy of running; the marathon is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, a Massachusetts state holiday, and this year, 23,000 runners were being cheered on by half a million spectators; and WHEREAS, At 2:50 p.m. on the afternoon of the 117th running of the marathon, a bomb exploded near the finish line, devastating the crowd, and seconds later, another bomb detonated nearby; three people were killed and more than 170 others were injured, many of them severely; the three innocents who lost their lives were Martin Richard, a spirited eight-year-old boy from Dorchester, Massachusetts, Krystle Campbell, a dynamic young woman from Arlington, Massachusetts, who worked as a restaurant manager, and Lu Lingzi, a graduate student from China who had come to America to study at Boston University; our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and loved ones; and WHEREAS, Even as it was unfolding, this terrible tragedy was met with a response that embodied the best of the human spirit; video recordings of the event captured the awe-inspiring heroism of Boston police officers, medical personnel, marathon volunteers, and ordinary citizens who raced through the smoke toward the wounded only seconds after the explosion, with no thought for their own safety, only the determination to offer assistance and comfort to strangers; in addition, many of the participants in the marathon continued running past the finish line, heading to local hospitals to donate blood, while numerous area residents spontaneously opened their hearts and their homes to stranded visitors; and WHEREAS, Although the explosions took place 2,000 miles away, the people of the Lone Star State stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and while we mourn for those who were lost and the lives that were shattered, we also offer our heartfelt tribute to the citizens of Boston, whose bravery, resilience, and compassion in a time of trial are a beacon of hope to all people, everywhere; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby express its grief over the immeasurable pain and suffering caused by the bombings at the Boston Marathon and honor the everyday heroes of that city who came to the aid of the victims; and, be it further RESOLVED, That when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell, and Lu Lingzi. Gutierrez Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1614 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on April 19, 2013. Chief Clerk of the House