By+QI+LEDAO

THE March 1 terrorist attack in Kunming left 29 civilians dead and more than 140 injured. Four perpetrators were also killed. The brutal carnage shocked the entire country to new levels of vigilance.

It is impossible to fully comprehend the horrors of a terrorist attack without experiencing it firsthand. We find it hard to imagine how easily our own families could become targets. For this reason terrorism is a public enemy to all of humanity.

A few months ago I met an American girl from Boston. As we chatted our conversation turned to the Boston Marathon bombing on March 25， 2013. The girl was a new graduate and a marathon runner. Fortunately she was not in that fateful run.

She could not even imagine the bombing. When I asked her if she would return to participate in the next Boston marathon， to stand up to terrorism， she said “I have no idea.” Her tone implied that she wouldnt.

Most of us escape the shadow of terror. By targetting innocent people， terrorism aims to spread fear. But as separate individuals， people have difficulty confronting it.

When violence becomes a political tool in the hands of religious extremism， it creates an ideology of terror. For decades， terrorism has threatened every major country， including many of Chinas neighbors.

Terror attacks are， by definition， unpredictable. Hence， no institution can take precautions that will be guaranteed effective. Just as people in Boston could never expect the marathon bombings， people in Kunming never foresaw the massacre in the railway station.

So far every attack is unique. The September 11 hijackers crashed passenger planes into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon； the London bombers blew up public buses at morning rush hour with homemade explosives. Some attackers try to use weapons of mass destruction. No amount of prior experience is enough to effectively halt terrorism.

There is no need to compare the Kunming attack with the scale and nature of other terrorist attacks. Nor is it necessary to criticize peoples reactions in the face of an attack. It is far more important to unite in bitter hatred of the enemy， and to realize that those terrorists who do not value their own lives will disregard the lives of others. We should also recognize the differences between social conflicts， ethnic disputes and political violence.

During the 2009 Urumqi riots I had a colleague from Urumqi， whose family worked in law enforcement. The rioters caused hundred of casualties； police were all called out on duty and every nerve was strained. My colleague was sleepless with anxiety. The only thing we could do was send our best wishes to his family. These people are at the front lines， guarding everyone against terrorism.

The anguish in Kunming affects us all.