The time difference between Israel and the East Coast of the United States is seven hours, which means that I woke up yesterday morning to learn that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by US forces at some point during the night. This being the age of new media, it’s probably not terribly surprising to anyone that I discovered this bit of news via my Facebook feed (with Lisa Goldman having the dubious distinction of being the bearer of such tidings, since her status update was the first one I read). The news websites confirmed the information that my Facebook friends (and indeed, my Twitter feed as well) were sharing – some rather giddily, and the images I saw on television shortly thereafter showed Americans in front of the White House celebrating and singing.
Photo courtesy of www.upi.com
I didn’t cheer, nor did I jump for joy or break into spontaneous singing of a national anthem. I wasn’t sorry to hear the news, but I also found it distasteful to watch people joyously celebrating someone’s death, and in the same raucous manner that one might celebrate a major sports victory. I can’t share the view of some of my friends who believe his death was wrong, or that he should have been brought to justice instead. I think that sometimes, as disturbing as this type of retribution might be, it may be the most sensible response to a situation whose components defy the most basic elements of logic, reason and humanity that most people hold dear, regardless of nationality, religion or any other circumstances that define who we are as individuals and members of the human race.
I can certainly understand and identify with the feelings of relief over Osama Bin Laden’s death, and hope that it brings at least some semblance of closure to those whose lives were directly affected by the atrocities for which he was responsible. But to actively celebrate the death of another human being? Drawing on the fact that there are people who celebrate the deaths of Americans (or any other group, for that matter) does not make it any more acceptable or palatable, for really, how can people justify their actions through a comparison to those who joyously support a culture of death?
And celebrating the death of one individual is to turn him into a martyr of mythological proportions. There is no question that Osama Bin Laden was an evil, dangerous man with a devastating, destructive agenda, but there were terror attacks before he came on the scene and there will continue to be terror long after he is gone and forgotten. He was not the root cause of all evil in the world (or even most of it), though the celebrations I’ve seen and words I’ve read would have you thinking otherwise. Terror organizations are not simply going to shut down their training camps and disperse their terror cells, nor do we now have them quaking in their boots with fear. People are still, at this very moment, trying to come up with new, creative ways to violently cause mass casualties. Killing Bin Laden is not going to solve or alleviate the issue of global terror, and to believe otherwise is, quite simply, naïve. We can, perhaps, take satisfaction in knowing that justice has been served, but in the grand scheme of things, his death is not a turning point; it is nothing more than a blip on the timeline of global terror.
Couldn’t agree more.
Well said. No lengthy comment here, since I think you captured what I have been feeling during this time.
To celebrate and cheer like your team just won the Super Bowl is just bizarre to me. Wouldn’t your first reaction be surprise/shock, then complete curiosity to learn as much as possible about how it happened? I suspect the majority of the people out in the streets reacting with glee and actually smiling aren’t the brightest bulbs.
I agree completely. Well written. I too was first shocked then glad then thoughtful about what this would do in other countries like Afghanistan. I thought there was something wrong with me when I watched people (BTW mostly college students who would have been what like 9 years old when the tragedy occurred) celebrating in the streets and I couldn’t say that celebrating like that was a good thing. No, terrorism will never die. As long as there is freedom and religion there will always be some who believe in taking from others.
I noticed that it seemed to be mostly people in their early 20s as well, and I really hope that they reflect on their initial reactions and judge them harshly. They’re the future of the US, and if they carry that attitude with them into adulthood, it’s only going to serve to isolate the US even more, I think. You would never see reactions like that in Europe, and you certainly don’t see reactions like that here in Israel when terrorists are killed (those who have turned Baruch Goldstein – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baruch_Goldstein – into a martyr not withstanding). Death shouldn’t be celebrated as though it was a frat party, no matter who died.
There’s definitely nothing wrong with you, Anne. 🙂
There’s an article about this generation on the NY Times today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/us/04youth.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha23
Doesn’t explain their emotional reaction though. I think we’re all patriotic; I just wouldn’t choose to smile and be happy.
Interesting article, Benji. Thank you for sharing it. I blame the Bush administration for creating a generation grew up on “the war on terror”, the “axis of evil”, etc., and for turning bin Laden into a creature of mythological proportions. Patriotism in and of itself isn’t a bad thing, but the administration twisted it into a concept that was distinctly entwined with the war on terror and used fear-mongering to keep it alive.
If Americans were unaware of how people around the world felt about the US prior to 9/11, they have no one to blame but themselves. What about the WTC attack in ’93? The attack on the barracks in Beirut? The Iranians that stormed the American Embassy in Tehran in ’79? The Pan Am flight over Lockerbie? And these are just a few, of course.
I think those who celebrated were brought up on this constant rhetoric about bin Laden as being almost superhuman, the ultimate bad guy who was, as portrayed by the Bush administration as being bigger than life. This wasn’t just getting the bad guy, it was getting THE bad guy, and I don’t know if the celebrations are because of that or because these kids actually believe that this will make the US “safe” again, or perhaps in their minds, this was a game to be won, and it finally was. I don’t know, really.
So many people died in the name of Bin Laden and then suddenly he got killed himself, too. It’s all so sad and I’d say it is a world tragedy that people who could have been friends kill each other like that.
I think we all imagined how it was to jump down from the top of The World Trade Centre and in brief moments I also imagine how it is to have my head cut off. These horror images evolve so much rage so it’s hard to think straight and I guess that answers for much of that celebration. For instance after the collapse of the twin towers in 2001 there was a picture displayed with some 5 or 6 Lebanese people who celebrated what happened just in the same way that your picture shows, flag and happy smiling – but I know that there are mothers and fathers in Lebanon, too, and those few people on that picture did not show the entire nation of Lebanon. And I know that entire nations don’t think like individuals. And I know from my boring history lessons that people can stop celebrating death and that’s when I think of The French Revolution.
Your blogging on this issue shows an individual reaction – and I believe it is the only way we can move forward without being too scared.
I don’t have any specific answers, only I believe that this is about education and responsible politicians who secure that a good education is available – and my view goes for all of us.
We all need to think straight and try not to be too scared.
And lesson number one is about what to celebrate and how I’d love that we all say: Life!