A lot of people, in the wake of the Boston bombing, seem deeply troubled by the question of “How could someone do something like this?” One thing I’ve learned from poker is that pain makes people do crazy, irrational, sometimes hurtful things, and that doing crazy, irrational, hurtful things is a sure a sign that someone is in pain.

That’s absolutely not to excuse such an atrocity, nor to create any sort of equivalence between the pain that caused the bombing and the pain caused by the bombing. Quite the opposite: what I’ve learned from poker is that you can learn to control the severity of your pain, and that you can learn not to take it out on others or on yourself. For me, “pain” is an answer to the question of “How could someone do this?” that helps me come to terms with the tragedy.

Moreso than usual, I’m curious to hear your thoughts!

I’m proud to announce that the Boston Debate League, a non-profit organization that I founded 5 years ago and on whose Board I now serve, has been selected as one of these charities. If any of you, or anyone you know, is interested in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to run the Boston Marathon and support a valuable cause, please e-mail me (andrew@thinkingpoker.net) for more information. Running for our team will get you weekly training and advice from a professional coach and the opportunity to share this experience with other motivated individuals like yourself. And the best part is, you don’t have to be an experienced distance runner already- that’s what the training is for!

The Boston Debate League is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting academic debate as an extracurricular activity and an agent of cultural change in Boston’s public high schools. I can tell you from personal experience that competitive debate can get the most unlikely students excited about academics. I have seen failing students on the verge of dropping out of school turn their lives around and earn college scholarships. I have seen nervous, quiet students cultivate an inner confidence and become powerful advocates for themselves and their communities. The Boston Debate League delivers results like this to those who need them most, the largely low-income and minority students in Boston’s public high schools. You can learn more about the Boston Debate League from our website.

By joining our team and raising money for the Boston Debate League, you will have the opportunity to accomplish something that most people never dream of, and you will be doing it for an important cause. Even if you aren’t able to run, please consider making a donation to support those who are.