Photo courtesy of White House photographer Pete Souza
Yes, Osama Bin Laden is dead.
Yes, this is a victory our country has long sought, and I, like most Americans, am relieved.
And yet…
I understand people celebrating the fact that the man behind the heinous attacks of 9/11 is now gone from this Earth. I pray the families of the 9/11 victims feel some sense of closure. I am incredibly proud of our President, the decisions he made, and above all, proud of the heroic Navy Seals who took on that mission.
But…
I have to say, all that cheering in the streets felt a bit off to me. I remember the horrid dread I felt on 9/11, when people in the Middle East were cheering in the streets over American deaths. Although our victims were innocent, I still believe we as Americans have to set the bar higher. This “Us Against Them” mentality never gets us anywhere but right back into the middle of the conflict. It's like kicking a hornet's nest. No one wins.
Don't get me wrong. Bin Laden was evil and this needed to be done.
But look at the faces of President Obama and Hillary Clinton in the above photo. This was no celebration.
My husband’s friend Steve Kettman wrote a great piece on this in the Huffington Post today. I can’t say it any better so I quote him here:
“I heave a sigh of relief, glad that bin Laden is out of the way, but forgive me if I pop no Champagne corks. This was a grim necessity, not a touchdown.”
My sentiments exactly, Steve.
To read Steve Kettman’s piece, click here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-kettmann/taking-out-osama-was-grim_b_856178.html
