i was reading to truman last night when Ev walked in and held up his cell phone for me to look at and i figured it was just going to be some cartoon or something. it was the news that bin laden had been found and killed. my jaw dropped.
not long after i watched the president's announcement and speech which made me happy and proud.
when we went to war after 9-11 a lot of the reasoning didn't make sense to me. i am still not 100% versed on all of the "reasons" to declare war, i know there have been "great losses and great gains" do i know all of the details, not even close. like most americans i enjoy my freedom without a lot of PERSONAL sacrifice. my loved ones are not overseas fighting, my children are at home in their beds. but there was one thing i never really questioned and that was that bin laden was a mass murdering tyrant that needed to be brought to justice.
last night all i felt towards the troops and the insanely brave men who found bin laden and killed him was extreme gratefulness. to me there is absolutely no reason a mass murderer needs to be shown any mercy. i don't mean to be crass, but the gonads it takes to carry out a mission like that with a level head is something i could never ever do. it astounds me, and fills me with gratitude and pride.
so i was surprised when i woke up and found that not everyone shared my feelings on this issue, most specifically people i know who call themselves christians. in their minds, celebrating the death of a mass murderer was not christian. now, i believe everyone is entitled to their opinion but i am not gonna lie, it pissed me off. as if somehow being a "christian" makes you rise above the sense of relief that bin laden was gone. that somehow people who DID feel happy he was found and killed are "less christian" than you are.
i am shocked that after nearly 10 years of fighting that anyone would deny ANYONE the right to celebrate this great american victory. to me it's almost a slap in the face to the men who carried out the operation.
so many thoughts have poured through my head today:
if a police officer kills a man who pulls an automatic weapon on him we don't blame the police officer.
we so easily vilify the teenagers who shot their peers at columbine but to celebrate BIN LADEN'S death is somehow unchristian?
has anyone ever said "gee, it was a shame everyone was so happy when hitler died??"
does anyone ever TRULY put themselves in another person's shoes?
i guess for me today it came down to the fact that i may have a bit more of a grasp of my dark side than other people. if someone murdered one or all of my children, you would have to hold me back because i would not hesitate to retaliate.
one of the things i have learned through the years is "fear is not logical." the fight or flight reflex is strong in humans...we are animals after all. the desire to protect is innate.
i have heard these same people arguing this point tell their children it's "ok to hit back" if their children are hit. what???? but killing BIN LADEN is bad?
i don't hide behind my christianity and i think this is ok, i know "jesus is just all right with ME" when it comes to this stuff.
if i allow MYSELF a few moments of pride for my country and a huge sigh of relief and feelings of justice than i sure as hell am going to let the families of the VICTIMS of 9-11 dance in the streets.
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