I slept through the big announcement last night, but found out early this morning about the fact that Osama bin Laden is now dead. I know this is what the vast majority of Americans have wanted since the terrible day that the towers fell in NYC, myself included. But honestly, I'm not sure what to think about what I'm seeing on the news.
I remember the devastation I felt that day in 2001, as I watched for really the first time in my life, my country being attacked on her own soil. I remember the fear. I remember the outrage. I remember the sense of patriotism. And I remember the disgust I felt at seeing news coverage of the throngs of people in the streets in some other countries celebrating the attacks and the deaths of all those innocent Americans. That would never happen here, I thought. Why do they hate us so?
Almost as soon as I turned on the television, I saw the reports of the gathering masses of "jubilant" American citizens in front of the White House. It reminded me very much of the footage back in 2001, and I find the whole thing, well, vulgar. This is America. We are supposed to be better than that. I'm not saying that I am sorry he's dead, for that is by no means the case. He was a terrible person, he did unspeakable things, and it has been a long, arduous road to find him. And at such a tremendous cost. How many thousands of innocent lives were lost along that road? How many brave men and women did we lose who volunteered to serve their country? If any man ever deserved death, certainly Osama was at the top of the list. But, 'jubilant'? No. I don't feel jubilant today. I am relieved that at least that part of this ugly war is over. But what's on my mind are all the lives, all the sacrifice it took to get here. And I'm also thinking of the inevitable aftermath.
The importance of this day is not lost on me. I have read the headlines screaming 'JUSTICE SERVED!" And perhaps that is so. Or at least the closest thing to justice you can achieve in a situation like this. I'm not sure there will ever be true justice for the men, women, and children who died on 9/11. Nor for our lost soldiers. I see nothing wrong with being relieved that Osama is finally gone. But it would be the height of naivete to believe that this is the end of anything. That we are somehow safer now that he is not in the world. He paid for his crimes with his life. But there are so many more just like him. And now they have yet another martyr. If anything, right now, I dread what comes next. It just seems almost certain that there will be at least some attempt at retribution. I am fearful for our men and women who remain overseas. I pray for their safety. And as always, I salute their bravery. I'm reminded today of a quote by Mahatma Gandhi. "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." I fear that this could turn into just that. A neverending back and forth that cannot be anything but bad for all of humanity.
I guess what I'm mainly trying to say here to my fellow citizens is this: Take the day. Be relieved that Osama is finally where he belongs. But also, do not lose sight of the fact that we still have men and women over there in harms way. Is footage of Americans celebrating this death in the street really what we want all of Osama's followers to be seeing? We are supposed to be setting the example for freedom and democracy. I wish we could do so with a dignity that was sorely lacking in the days following 9/11 in the streets of the middle east. Maybe also take a few minutes today to remember the lives that were lost in getting here.
He is gone, but the war is not over. Let us all pray for a day of peace in the near future, where we don't have to be so concerned with terror alerts, nor do we have to bury yet another one of our country's heroes.
