With all due respect and sympathy to all those who have suffered or died due to Bin Laden's evil schemes, I cannot find it within myself to take joy in the death of another human being. I wanted Bin Laden stopped from doing harm, and now he's stopped. For that I feel relief.
Several posts by bloggers speak wise words about Bin Laden's end. Mark Harris, at Preludium, Penny's post titled A Note About the Death, and Rmj at Adventus. Rmj picked up commentary from around and about and added his own.
As a sign that I am entirely human and capable of taking the low road, I said the following at Penny's blog:
Still, I take a certain satisfaction in the timing. For all George Bush's bluster, Osama bin Laden was not killed on his watch but on the watch of a president who has been labeled a terrorist by certain citizens of this country. Not exactly a Christian sentiment on my part, eh?
What I did not add at Penny's blog is the rest of what I wanted to say: "Up yours, all you Americans who call our president a terrorist!"
There is a funny video (photoshopped, or however they do it) showing Obama stepping up to the podium. The words "HE'S DEAD" appear as a very large caption.
ReplyDeleteObama then walks away and, as he approaches the door, kicks it open and strides through.
I have to admit I keep chuckling over that one. Not the sentiment I'm supposed to have, based on my post. But I can't quite help it.
Rmj, we are all human.
ReplyDelete...he approaches the door, kicks it open and strides through.
Well, I guess he's gone, then.
I can't help myself, either.
Another thought: I can't take joy in bin Laden's death, but apparently black humor is not out of bounds.
ReplyDeleteI cannot take joy in death of any sort either. To watch the celebrations, though I understand many such as those in New York City I cannot celebrate a death.
ReplyDeleteLet us hope he has been stopped. A lot of his power always lay in being a figurehead and a symbol, which he can continue to be, even after death.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but as a resident of New York who saw Osama's handiwork in person, I'm having a very hard time with the mea culpas.
ReplyDeleteHe will now have to face almost 3000 from here, and thousands upon thousands more from Morocco to Nairobi to Bali and around the world who perished at his hands. I think all of their legions of bereaved have good cause to feel relief and satisfaction.
Mea culpas? As "I'm sorry (it's our fault that) we (US govt) killed him"?
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen that anywhere, Doug.
Ambivalence is not Apology.
[Mimi, did you remove Name/URL and Anonymous posting options? It looks like it.]
I'm sorry that I'm not feeling all that ambivalent about it, JCF.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought: I can't take joy in bin Laden's death, but apparently black humor is not out of bounds.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Now I feel better.
JCF, I removed the Name/URL and Anonymous postings options, because of the troll. I was gone for several hours, and I didn't want his comments coming through. I'll leave the function off until tomorrow morning when I can monitor the comments.
ReplyDeleteThose who view Bin Laden as a martyr will want to avenge his death, so the violence is not likely to come to an end.
My ambivalence is what it is, Doug. I neither look for it nor expect it.
ReplyDeleteNon-ambivalence is what it is, too. I neither praise nor condemn it.
Like I said at your place, ambivalence is another name for emptiness. I just feel emptiness about it all.