Francis Wilkinson, Columnist

The Boston Marathon, Sandy Hook and Risk

The Boston Marathon bombing, juxtaposed with the mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, reveals an ideological component to the way Americans assess risk.Â

April 16, 2013 at 5:28 PM UTC

By Francis Wilkinson

Francis Wilkinson is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering US politics and policy. Previously, he was executive editor for the Week and a writer for Rolling Stone.

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The Boston Marathon bombing, juxtaposed with the mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, reveals an ideological component to the way Americans assess risk. In particular, Americans' tolerance of mayhem and death varies depending on the source of the violence.

The Wall Street Journal editorial page, for example, was quick to revisit old fears about foreign terrorism in the wake of the Boston attack: