America's enemy number one is a corpse, and the flash mob is parading up and down Pennsylvania Avenue, waving flags and chanting U-S-A. College students, many of whom cannot spell bin Laden, are suddenly so proud to be Americans. The news media continues to use the first person plural "We" when describing the military operation, as if Christine Anampour was pulling right flank security in the deal.
This thing bothers me at so many levels.
Are we safer and better off now that the world's leading terrorist is defeated? Perhaps. And for a little bit. But surely as the sun will come up tomorrow, someone will take his place and continue to steal, kill and destroy life, truth and beauty. Like the Hydra, cut off the head and three more grow back.
Is justice served? Probably. Obviously, the guy was not interested in going to trial, but we are all pretty well convinced that he was a mass murderer, an evil genius, a hater of the things that we believe in. So, I guess he got what was coming to him.
I think what bothers me is this. This guy was a terrorist, and we responded with more terror. He was a violent and hateful man, and we who call ourselves a peace loving nation, responded with violence and hatred. We try to paint ourselves as the good guys, God Bless America, we point to ourselves as the keepers of peace and democracy and diplomatic solutions to difficult problems, but we dance in the streets because some brave men shot the guy in the head. Paradox?
Maybe it has to be this way. I guess some folks never learn and maybe a fight is the only solution sometimes. But that does not mean we should gloat, and wave the flag, and pretend that we are innocent and right while the rest are guilty and wrong.
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