We were at a family celebration last night when my brother-in-law broke the news that Osama Bin Laden was dead.
So many emotions. Shock, disbelief, empathy, sadness.
When we got home, the Internet was all abuzz with details and reactions. People celebrating, praising and criticizing
President Obama, and blessing America.
I remember the day it happened.
Waking up to the news, going to work at the Naval Base, listening to the radio and giving updates to everyone in the big meeting down the hall, being locked-down on the base, and then finally being allowed to go home.
I remember the horrific scenes on television, forever seared in my mind, of people who had to choose between jumping to their death or burning alive in the towers.
The heroes made that day who did what they could to fight a battle they could not win.
The countless stories of people miraculously saved by some little thing that kept them home that morning, and the others who were not supposed to be there and died.
The endless, nearly impossible task of identifying the remains.
It seems unreal that nearly 10 years have passed.
The way it has shaped how America operates, and our priorities, and the attempts to make us safe.
As significant an event as 9/11 was and is in history, I cannot bring myself to rejoice in this death. I feel sad, deeply sad.
I feel sure that God believes in justice, but still mourns the loss of one of His children. I don't disagree with his death, but I don't believe that killing one man will make much difference in the safety of our country. After all, he apparently was too much a coward to carry on his mission of death to America, and sent his foot-soldiers instead. He spread his message of hate far and wide, and it does not die with him. Selfish, misguided, evil indeed. Deserving of death, unquestionably. But I still feel sad that we have to kill to bring peace to our nation.
2 comments:
I couldn't have said it any better, I share your sentiment. I saw someone post on Facebook that instead of death they should have captured him live and made him spend the rest of his days repeatedly going through airport security.
I always think the best mercy for someone grieving the loss of a loved one is to truly look in their heart and give it to God and forgive those that cause the harm. Not easy to do, but the most rewarding in the end.
I hadn't realized that he was dead either until everyone left and I logged into facebook. I too remember 9/11, waking up to the clock radio alarm with breaking news announcements of a planes hitting the WTC. After reading more today about how OBL died, I thought about what if they had captured him instead of killed him. Justice is a hard to achieve normally, but next to impossible with that man. I suppose I'm glad he's not sitting in some prison while the world tries to figure out what to do with him. He and his camp resisted arrest and they shot him. It happens. I hope we as a nation are safer, but I'm doubtful thanks to OBL.
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