By Jeff
OK, I'm going the route of just about every other blogger today with the coverage of Osama bin Laden being killed and buried at sea by the United States. Sports and obscure pop culture references will be back tomorrow.
Let me begin by saying that my first reaction was that it's good he was killed. He was the leader of a group that planned 9/11. There will be no sympathy for him coming from me.
Well, that is inaccurate. My first thought was wondering if it was Matt Cooke who delivered the fatal blow to bin Laden with a premeditated elbow. And then of course that led me to wondering if it was more of a victory for Canada than the United States. This is just the way my mind works. I imagine crazy, irrational scenarios. It's probably from playing too many videos games growing up.
Then I saw all the videos and Facebook posts celebrating this achievement, and I found it all to be too much (I know it's hypocritical for me to say that after I just admitted to cracking jokes about it. I'm just being honest). There is no questioning bin Laden was a scum bag. Anyone who takes pleasure in the murder of thousands of lives probably deserves worse than what he got. But the excessive celebration by Americans seemed excessive.
I don't think less of anyone marching to the White House or across college campuses to celebrate the events of May 1, 2011. With all the partisan crap going on with the deficit, jobs, the environment, blah, blah blah, Americans have needed something to celebrate together. The fact it had to be the killing of another person is a little sad, but when you consider the person and what bin Laden represents, I can't blame anyone for taking pleasure in his demise. Like I said above, I was happy when I heard the news.
Now comes some more of my hypocrisy. At least I'm honest, unlike Congress. Sorry. I couldn't help myself.
Osama was one man. The war in Afghanistan isn't ending today and terrorism isn't going anywhere because of his death. While the Navy SEALs who took out bin Laden did the world a great favor, the marching and dancing through the streets are the type of actions that really piss off the opposition. Remember all those videos you've seen of others celebrating the misfortunes and tragedies of the United States? Remember how upset it made you feel to see others taking pleasure in our pain and problems? Well I think terrorists across the world are having those same feelings. Sure, Americans are celebrating the death of a monster as opposed to soldiers and innocents, but that's not how the enemies of the United States see it.
Please don't take that last thought as me saying anyone burning U.S. flags after 9/11 are the same as those who marched to the White House last night. I'm saying those flag burners probably view it as the same, and seeing Americans celebrate the death of bin Laden might lead to extreme actions in the near future.
That leads me to Facebook and people who want to see the body, or want to put bin Laden's head on a pole. I understand people wanting to see the body. It's a dilemma many news outlets will probably face. If I were an editor, I probably wouldn't publish the photo of a man shot in the head unless it was to shed light on monstrosities taking place in the world. The positive DNA test is enough for me. And it's not like people who hate Obama would accept any released photos as proof. Look at how they reacted to the release of his birth certificate.
I also understand people wanting to go all "Braveheart" on the body, but I disagree with it. The fact that the SEALs and military treated the body of such a hated enemy like bin Laden is a prime example of what makes us different than extremists. I don't know what says humanity like taking the body of an enemy that cost us thousands of lives and 10 years of frustration and treating it with respect when it would have been so easy to mutilate it. That should be the action that makes us proud to be Americans.
It's a great day for America. Tomorrow the left and right will start fighting over who should get the credit and all the other stuff they fight about. But we have today to let out a deep breath and feel satisfied knowing that a mass murderer has been wiped off the planet. We just need to remember that is just one victory.
Marvin Gaye - The Star-Spangled Banner
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