Al Qaeda's founding father has been killed, the mastermind behind the 911 terrorist attack in the United States and scores of other bombings and terrorist attacks throughout the world. We should be glad that he is gone and for many here in the U.S. this event will offer some sort of closure. However, Bin Laden was just one man and as we know, many of the more recent attacks and plots were not masterminded by him but rather by other "officers" in the Qaeda force. I may prove to be very unpopular in my next statement, but why is there so much celebration at the killing of Bin Laden? If you looked at videos of people celebrating in the streets across the country, you would have thought that a war had ended and our soldiers were all coming home. Given a different back drop, you might have thought you were transported back to the 1940's and the end of World War II with troops returning en masse. Are any troops returning to our country from Afghanistan? No. With all the statements made by politicians such as "we will remember this day in history" and "it is a joyous day today," you would have thought we might have found the cure for cancer or AIDS. Why then all the celebration? To me it seems overly barbaric that we are celebrating the fact that we were able to shoot another person in the head.
Now, that being said, did he mastermind horrible crimes? Absolutely. Was it a horrible loss for so many families on 911? Absolutely. I am not saying that he should not have paid for what he did, however, I am saying that our actions upon his death seem highly barbaric. I heard people say yesterday that we should all be united on this day behind America, that Republicans and Democrats should put their differences aside and stand together at least today. What bullshit. If it takes the killing of someone to unite our country, then I will take no part. I did not put out my American flag yesterday because I felt that it would have contributed to the celebratory atmosphere which is ridiculous. Has our country regressed emotionally to the point where it takes a killing to ignite unity? We have come together in unity for all the wrong reasons. I know that a while ago, I blogged about celebrating death. In that blog, I wrote that instead of mourning a loved ones death, we should celebrate the life that they lived. The actions people are taking in celebration are for the killing of another human being, albeit a decrepit and horrendous human, but a human regardless. They are not for any reason celebrating the life that he lived. The only people in my mind who have a right to be joyous are those that lost a loved one on 911. But even then, will his death bring back the one's they lost? No. It is merely another killing of another enemy combatant as our army likes to call them. Qadaffi, the ruler of Libya has been the perpetrator of many more deaths than Bin Laden, some of the American, yet if he is killed, will we celebrate? Probably not.
As I said before, I am sure that I will be derided for my opinion as emotions run high after the killing of Bin Laden. Keep in mind that we didn't rout Al Qaeda. Will they be the same after his death? Only time will tell, but we didn't solve all the problems of the world on Sunday. It was merely the summation of a 10 year search for one person that finally came to fruition. Lets move on with our lives and put this behind us. I only hope that there is no celebration next year on May 1st over this event. The so called "war on terror" will be an ongoing event I am sure as our country loves to be involved in foreign affairs. Instead of celebrating the murder of Bin Laden, lets look for something positive in our lives to celebrate. Lets look instead to getting ourselves out of our economic recession and celebrate that when we do. How about celebrating the birth of our nation in July with more vigor than usual. What if we all just simply celebrated the fact that we live in a free country by putting out an American flag every day. There are so many better reasons to join together in celebration than over the death of Bin Laden. In a way, all those who celebrated acknowledge the fact that Bin Laden could have such a strong hold on their emotions that it took his death to bring them to life. It is a sad day in my mind when we celebrate murder. In a sense, am I glad he is gone? Yes, but his death stirred absolutely no emotion in me. I celebrate every day that I wake up, period. His death means nothing to me. Hold whatever opinion you will of me, but lets progress from our barbaric celebrations and start living again.
Interesting point of view. I don't agree with it, but interesting non-the-less.
ReplyDeleteI do feel it's necessary to point out that bin Laden was not the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. He was the financier -- The mastermind was actually Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
And what's wrong with America celebrating Osama's death? It was a unifying moment for this country. The last unifying moment we had, similar to this, was the morning of 9/11/2001.
And if I remember correctly, you were with everyone else in the quad at Bonaventure -- unified in shock, terror, disdain and vengeance.
So for you to say his death stirred no emotion in you, to me, is crazy.
What happened to all the emotion you experienced that horrible morning? What happen to the heartbreak you felt while watching the Twin Towers crumble?
And what if you were one of those poor people who had a loved one die in that tragedy. Would you then be emotional over his death? Would you then afford America the right to be unified in celebration?
I agree, there are better reason's assemble, but that doesn't mean celebrating bin Laden's death is 'barbaric' and pointless.
His death means something to so many people. And just because it means nothing to you, that doesn't give you the right to chop others down with a sharp tongue and scornful eye.
You don't want to celebrate his death -- fine. But American's have earned the right to be joyous in his demise.
We've also earned the right to assemble as we see fit. To suggest otherwise is both un-American and unconstitutional.
Now don't get made at me for disagreeing with you. I know you want to surround yourself with 'yes men,' but I am not one of those guys who's going to tell you what you want to hear just for the sake of doing so.
I would love to read your response, just don't kill me for expressing a different point of view.
And if you personally attack me, like you did the last time I disagreed with you, then our conversation will be over before it even begins -- and your words will have accomplished nothing.
I'd like to quickly revise something I said -- or rather clarify.
ReplyDeleteYou wrote, "the only people in my mind who have a right to be joyous are those that lost a loved one on 911."
In my response, I asked -- "if you were one of those poor people who had a loved one die in that tragedy, would you then be emotional over his death?"
After re-reading your post, it's clear that you would be emotional.
However, what I am curious about is this. If you did, in fact, lose a loved one on 9/11 -- would you condone American's celebrating bin Laden's death, or would you covet the right to be joyous and claim only those who've lost someone have earned the right to feel that way?
I am of the opinion that we all lost something that morning. And thus all have the right to feel joyous over bin Laden's death. Even if those feelings cause -- what you would call -- 'barbaric celebration.'
I understand that people will be joyous at his death and I never suggested that they do not have the right to assemble and celebrate as they wish, I am merely commenting on the overall joyous mood and celebratory atmostphere that surround his killing. The right that gives them to assemble and celebrate as they wish (which I would never deny) also gives me the right to voice my opinion on their actions.
ReplyDeleteI did mention that it is a good thing that he is gone, however celebrating to the point that people are I think is overly excessive. To be truly honest, his death did not stir any emotion in me. Granted, I was there in the quad with everyone when it happened and I was emotional at that time. But that was ten years ago and I have chosen not to let those events define my future emotional response. Have I forgotten what happened, no, and it was tragic. However, letting the past define my future and letting someone's impact on our country define my emotional response today is not rational in my mind. Should we learn from the past, yes, but to take it with us is not healthy.
If you remember, my dad was suppossed to be in the building that day but his meeting was called off for whatever reason. And I am glad that Bin Laden is gone, but I am not going to celebrate his death. What did his death really accomplish? Did it solve any problems? Did it bring back the dead? Did it end the war on terror?
To me, celebrating the death of one person when the war on terror is far from over is premature. As you said, he did not mastermind the attacks, he finance them (thank you for the correction). Yes, he was the head of Al Qaeda and taunted us.
To sum it up, I would never deny the right for people to celebrate. People have every right to feel joyous if they wish, but I do not think that celebrating to the extent that we are is a good or necessary thing.
I still see nothing wrong with what happened outside the White House the night he was pronounced dead.
ReplyDeleteI see nothing wrong with baseball parks (like Philly's) breaking-out into "USA" chants after the news of his death was flashed across the scoreboard.
I see nothing wrong with people gathering at ground zero to show pride in our country b/c we eliminated a brutal tyrant who unquestionably financed and supported the worst attack ever on American soil.
To be honest, I found most of it pretty touching.
And here's why.
It was a moment that made us (Americans) unified by a sense of nationalism.
Too rare are the times when people in this country cross political, religious, racial, social and economic boundaries to come together under a common cause.
And in no way did I find any of the above-mentioned demonstrations to be excessive, or barbaric, in nature.
Granted, idiots are idiots anywhere you go, and some don't know how to control themselves, but that doesn't mean the demonstrations in and of themselves were over-the-top or uncalled for.
---
You're right, his death will not end the 'war on terror,' but the 'war on terror' is, and always has been, an unrealistic joke. A group of words paired together to sell the world a made-up justification for our country's desire (at the time) as a global, economic superpower to control the world's last great oil supply.
Think I'm wrong?
Think back to 9/11. We were sold the 'war on terror' terminology by the Bush administration. That exact phrase was minted, passed around by the media, and regurgitated by millions until it was universally excepted that we were, in fact, fighting a war on terror in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
But here's how I see it. How can you fight a war on terror when terrorism is state of mind? Because I posit that you can kill a man, but you can't kill an idea.
You say the 'war on terror' is far from over...I say it never really existed.
So you're right, killing bin Laden will not bring us closer to ending the war on terror. Just like diving into the fountain of youth at Disney Land in Florida won't make us live forever. Why? Because it's not real. It’s make believe.
We are fighting wars, but they most assuredly aren’t wars on terror.
---
I would also like to say that I strongly feel as though killing bin Laden was great human accomplishment. He was a brutal tyrant; both directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of hundreds-of-thousands of people (not just American's, but Muslims, Afghans, Russians, etc...), maybe more.
Allowing him to live; allowing his terrorist regime to act without scruples, without fear of reprisal while violating the laws of both God and man is not only dangerous to our planet's way of life, but barbaric in and of itself.
Therefore, Osama bin Laden's death was not only justified in my eyes, I think it was the right thing to do (Not only from and American standpoint, but from a human one as well).
He deserved to die. And b/c of his role in 9/11, we deserved to be the one's who killed him.
And if I am a bad person because killing him makes me proud to be an American -- well then -- I'm a bad person.
I never said you or anyone who celebrated his death were bad people, I was simply commenting on the action celebration that specific people or their underlying nature.
ReplyDeleteI commented on you "war on terror" thesis in my post today, so I will leave that alone for now.
I never said that removing him was a bad thing. I think ultimately, as was our initial intent, it would have been better to take him alive. Because they felt that he was going to fire on our soldiers they were absolutely justified in killing him.
By saying that killing him was the right thing to do and that we should be the one's who deserved to kill him is taking the role of God and deciding who should or shouldn't die. Since when do we have the right to decide who lives and who dies. Granted, he decided that Americans should die and my stance here is widely unpopular, but I feel that it would have been better to lock him up in solitary confinement for life than to kill him.
And a final comment for now, not to piss you off, but to give you food for thought, is that if killing Bin Laden made you proud to be an American, who should we kill next to keep that pride going for you. Your logic is in line with those in foreign countries who celebrate when they shoot down an American helicopter or bomb and American patrol driving down the street. What separates you from them?
Not a personal attack, brotha, just questioning your logic as I love to do. If you take this as a personal attack, I am sorry, because it is not meant to be one.
Quick revision from the start of my last comment, "I was simply commenting on the act of celebration not specific people or their underlying nature."
ReplyDeleteI will get to the 'War on Terror" again later, but for now, a response to your comments on bin Laden.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm going o break this up into a couple of parts, so bare with me.
You asked me since when does man have the right to decide who lives or dies. My response -- and though the following is not my opinion, simply a counter argument -- since God gave him free will.
Be it acts of individuals or the collective conscious of a group, men have killed and/or condemned other men to be killed since the dawn of time.
And this is not a personal attack -- so please don't take it that way -- but the Catholic Church your akin too has been responsible for the deaths of countless millions throughout human history.
How can you separate yourself so far from one idea yet freely place yourself within a group that has embraced that very same idea since its inception (To say otherwise is naive. Some would even say your church was founded around the condemning of one man, Jesus Christ)?
To take it a step further, I propose your church wouldn't exist today if men throughout history hadn't killed in its name.
----
Now, killing bin Laden did swell my American pride. But it's a pride that always burns inside me no matter how bright or dim the flame. Did his death make that flame burn a little brighter then it normally does -- absolutely!
I said it before and I will say it again, he was brutal tyrant, both directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of hundreds-of-thousands of people. Given that gross violation of the laws of man, he deserved to die.
---
And don't kid yourself, condemning a man to serve a life sentence in solitary confinement is the same thing as condemning a man to death. The only difference is, solitary confinement is often a slow and brutally lonely.
---
You asked what separates me from those in foreign countries who celebrate the shooting down of an American chopper?
The honest answer is, nothing.
One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter. So who am I to say that my cause is more just than some one else -- for the only thing that truly separates any man is birth, circumstance and his freedom to exercise free will.
Furthermore, there is a huge fundamental difference b/w celebrating the capturing of a U.S. helo then celebrating the killing of a man who was responsible for the death of hundreds-of-thousands.
---
A small request.
Think of the five most brutal tyrants throughout human history...The world's worst mass murders.
When you have all five in mind, I want you to picture a seemingly endless sea of faces made up of the people they've killed.
I'm serious, close your eyes and really picture it.
Hold that picture.
Do you see the women? The innocent children?
Now, with that picture in your minds eye, answer me this.
What sort of punishment is fitting to befall upon those men responsible for the deaths of the faces you now see?