What a Day...

So, last night when the news broke that U.S. forces had killed Osama bin Laden, the husband and I were watching a movie...And then he decided that we should head down to the White House to witness the celebrations...And though I went along, I was not really feeling it...

Because I remember 9/11.  And the panic that followed.  Such as having to remove my shoes at Logan Airport.  Or being instructed to buy reams of duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal up my house.  And so, I do not think the resolution of that day should have been marked by the drunken opportunistic patriotism of clueless teenagers--most of whom were children when the towers fell.


Call me all sorts of names (killjoy, prude, etc.), but I do not rejoice...I just breathe a sigh of cautious relief and resolve to remain vigilant because the "war" is not over.

Nothing happens in a vacuum.  Nothing.  The law of motion is that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  And this means that for all of the jubilation we might feel, there is despair being felt somewhere else in the world that will sow the seeds for what will happen in the future.  This moment of triumph needs to be tempered with the realization that those who sought to terrorize our country ten years ago may only be temporarily deterred by this latest development.  They will find another leader, or they will find other ways to wreak havoc in the world.  And so my question for the drunken mob is whether you are really ready for that?

None of us are, so let me change the subject to something even less comfortable...to the young people who were running wild through the streets of DC, what are you prepared to do now?  The cost of keeping our system, maintaining our freedom, assuring our liberties is not only bought by those who serve in uniform, but by all of us.  So are you willing to vote in the elections next year?  Are you willing to pay your taxes (saw a LOT of "Don't Tread on Me" flags alongside the U.S. flags) without complaint?  Are you willing to make a few sacrifices in your daily routine to improve the world for your children?

If we really want to honor those who died on 9/11, we should not celebrate the death of the puppeteer.  We should reaffirm our commitment to our values by becoming better Americans.