I was a little late to the game last night in hearing about Osama bin Ladin’s death. I was watching last week’s episode of Glee on Tivo, completely unaware of the drama that had been unfolding around the world. When the show was over, and I switched to live TV, I was shocked to see President Obama’s announcement. I was even a little disoriented, as the fictional world of television morphed into stark reality. Bin Ladin, Al-Qaeda, 9/11 and the “War on Terror” seeped back into my consciousness from where they had been… in a not-so-restful hibernation state.
Once the news settled into my brain, I have to confess that there was a disconnect between what I was feeling, and what I was seeing on the news. I didn’t feel like taking to the streets and celebrating. Yes, the world is a better place without Osama bin Ladin in it. Yes, I am grateful for, and in awe of, all of the intelligence and military precision that went into this historic moment. And of course, this is a significant milestone in our efforts to defend ourselves from terrorism.
But as I watched the chanting and cheering crowds, I couldn’t share their excitement for a number of reasons:
1. Our grander mission is not accomplished: As a symbolic moment, we can’t overstate the importance of bin Ladin’s death. On a larger scale, however, does it really make us a safer country? We know Al-Qaeda will live on. We know bin Ladin will be hailed as a martyr by some. We can’t let this victory decrease our vigilance around fighting terrorism and working to make this a safer world.
Personally, I hope we can use this moment to re-think our ant-terrorism strategy. Can we stop making the Islamic community as a whole out to be villains? Can we finally end our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Can we focus on re-building those communities through infrastructure, health care, and education to give terrorists fewer targets for recruitment? That would be a reason to celebrate.
2. The impact of 9/11 lives on: Osama bin Ladin’s terrible act on 9/11 accomplished more than I’m sure even he bargained for. Beyond the horrific human toll, America has sustained collateral damage that continues to impact us today. In the aftermath of 9/11 we unfortunately let some of the worst tendencies of our country overwhelm our best qualities.
We flexed our military might and have lost nearly 6,000 brave Americans (including nearly 100 Minnesotans) in the process. More than 30,000 men and women have been injured. This has impacted countless lives to an extent that is impossible to measure.
We compromised our own ethical standards through increased surveillance of our own citizens, the establishment of a detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, and the use of torture for interrogation.
We poured billions of dollars into wars (with much of the money kept off the official balance sheets), and are now faced with massive federal and state deficits that are impacting our ability to deliver basic needs (health care, education, infrastructure, public safety) to our own citizens. (Obviously the wars are only part of the equation for our economic collapse, but they are a significant factor).
As we in Minnesota struggle to make budget decisions in the face of a $5 billion deficit, I can’t help but wonder where our economy would be right now without 9/11 and the decisions we made in its wake.
3. It doesn’t bring anyone back: As I tried to sleep last night my thoughts drifted to the victims of 9/11 and their families. I knew two people who were killed in the towers, and I hope bin Ladin’s death brought some sense of closure to their families’ pain. I know it won’t take that pain away.
So as we move into this post-bin Ladin world, what has really changed for us here in Minnesota? The wars still rage. The economy is still teetering. Our lawmakers are still deadlocked in disagreement about how to balance our budget.
I know we’re witnessing history. I got chills listening to President Obama’s announcement. But I can’t quite get myself to celebrate the death of this man.
I can only hope this moment helps us move forward, re-focusing on the qualities that really make America great: our freedom, our compassion, and our commitment to building a brighter future for our own citizens as well as those around the world.
The celebrations were unseemly.
Quiet satisfaction would have been more becoming.
I didn’t quite connect with all of the celebratory fist pumping and flag waving and taking to the streets (though I get it), but am glad this chapter is now in the books. I’m big on closure, and look at it more as making good on a promise (stated or implied) kept to us all (especially to those lives lost on 9/11 and the men and women who have bravely fought for freedom in that time). I’ll never forget Obama’s speech, and where I was (half asleep under the covers), but I’m not ready to take to the streets.
Now onto solving the real root of MidEast terrorism…the Israeli-Palestinian conflict…