According to a 19th-century composer named Francis Scott Key, the United States is the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” If he were writing those lyrics today, he might add an asterisk with the notation: “Void in the aftermath of terrorism.”

In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, many people resolved not to let themselves be terrorized. It’s obviously impossible to secure every inch of a 26.2-mile race course, but so what? Boston is not going to be scared into giving it up.