The news of Bin Laden's killing by an American special forces unit has brought out people in the streets, in New York City and Washington, DC. As well it should - the news is a victory for decent humanity.
Hitler's death was announced on May 1, 1945. And Bin Laden's will go down in history as another reason to celebrate May 1.
Bin Laden's death can't bring back all the victims of his terror in New York City, Washington, Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, and in so many other places on other horrible days around the world. But his death goes a long way in registering justice for the deaths of all of those good people, in whatever scale exists for that in the cosmos.
George W. Bush deserves credit for having tried his best. Barack Obama deserves credit for having tried his best and succeeded. Whether Republicans or Democrats, we're all Americans, and all part of the larger tribe of civilized humanity.
Thanks to the brave, savvy work of our American special forces, we've won a very big round.
7 comments:
As a person having lived in both Canada and the US, I find it interesting that for me I find no joy in the news of Bin Laden. It is a sad commentary on our own humanity that we have failed to find alternatives to killing each other to fulfill our purposes of justice and peace. We had a chance to turn our directions in a different way just after 9-11.
Perhaps maybe we can learn that our might does not make us right in how we think, act and believe and instead live with compassion for all. The question is for me what alternatives are there? How creative a society can we be in order to find alternatives to the way we currently solve problems and treat one another.
Perhaps we can start to see that each bomb we drop, each civilian and soldier we terrorise with our weaponry creates the further climate for the next Osama.
But 'perhaps' is a very big word, and my response is one of sadness as we will continue to parade our shame around us pretending to be proud.
There's a big difference, for me, between dropping bombs, which can and do kill innocent people (such as Gadaffy's grandchildren) and pin-point police actions, such as the one that put an end to bin Laden.
There's not the slightest doubt that the world is far better off without him on it.
The only problem is there is no 'him' but an ideology and force of will and that will simply travels to the next person and next generation. War and violence will only be a partial and painful solution at the best of times, no matter who creates the violence. Too bad we can't think, act and feel outside the box of our own making.
Ideologies live in the minds of human beings. Therefore, doing away with arch wielders of murderous ideologies - whether Hitler or bin Laden - do some good.
You're right that such actions don't solve the problem, but they help.
i am appaled that you are allowed to teach classes at my university. planned assasinations of political targeta is the exact opposite of what this country pretends to stand for. i resent that you want to include me in your 'america' because it is violent, oppressive, and offensive.
Be appalled all you want. I presented rational arguments. Rather than refuting or even discussing them, all you can do is talk about your "resent"ment and hurl insults.
I hope that, in whatever classes you may take at any university, you learn to apply a little logic in your communications.
bin Laden dead. Good riddance to bad rubbish. 'nuff said.
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