So said the sign. I confess, my initial reaction to the news was similar. Even before I saw that hand-written sign in the jubilant crowd outside the White House, in my head, I likewise channeled the residents of Munchkinland, but left the quote intact "Ding, dong, the witch is dead. Which old witch? The wicked witch". I firmly believe the world is a better place now that bin Laden has departed.
I am grateful for all the men and women that have been hands-on in the hunt for America's Most Wanted for nearly a decade. I am awed by the audacity, courage, and amazing level of professionalism displayed by the Navy Seals of Team Six that executed their orders to perfection. I can't imagine what was going through their heads as they were flying in to Abbottabad. They had to know the gravity of what they were about to attempt. They must have felt the enormity of the historical significance their mission would have. I'm sure they felt the weight of an entire country's hunger for justice on their shoulders. Adrenaline levels must've been off the charts. Certainly greater than any other similar missions they had ever completed before. And yet they got the job done.
And America rejoiced.
However, as I watched the events unfold on television, my feelings changed rapidly. I wasn't any less relieved that he is gone. I wasn't any less grateful for our military and intelligence professionals. I still believe justice has been served. But, well, let's just say that I believe President Obama's demeanor during his address inside the White House was far more appropriate to the occasion than that displayed by the masses gathering outside the White House, at Ground Zero and Times Square. There were no fist-pumps from the President. No woots of joy. No victory sign. Not even a smile. Based on his facial experessions and tone of voice, he could as well have been announcing that the mission was a complete failure and that all of the Seals had perished and Osama lives on. I believe that was an appropriate way to respond to a victory of this nature.
I totally understand the intense emotions, the sense of justice, the joy, the closure expressed by the crowds in DC and NYC. Especially from the families that lost loved ones at the hands of Osama. I'm not implying anyone behaved inappropriately, or did anything wrong. But watching the crowds celebrating the death of bin Laden, it reminded me of scenes from the streets of Tehran.
Yes, I'm old enough to remember "The Hostage Crisis". The genesis of Nightline. "Day 393, and this......is Nightline". The failed rescue attempt ("gee, you mean if we try to fly helicopters across the desert at low altitude, they'll get sand in the engines?"). And there have been many other scenes of people around the world rejoicing at the deaths of Americans in the years since. By and large, we look upon such demonstrations as proof-positive that those people are not only our enemy, but are evil. Evil to the core.
So last night, we poured into the streets to celebrate the execution of an evil enemy. And because we believe the enemy to be evil, that justifies being elated about death. But here's the thing, those foreigners on the other side of the globe that celebrate when Americans meet death or misfortune believe that we are evil. They are just as convinced that Americans are evil as we are convinced that they are evil. So when they pour into the streets, they too are celebrating the death of an evil enemy.
And so I'm left to ponder....are we as different from them as we believe we are? Are we superior, as we believe we are? Are we good and they evil, as we believe we are? Based on recent behavior, I'm not so sure. When they take to the streets to publicly celebrate the death of an evil enemy, we declare that they're evil. Last night, we took to the streets to publicly celebrate the death of an evil enemy. So what does that make us? Based on our reaction to the news last night, I'm left to wonder: are we as evil as they are, or are we just tremendous hypocrites?
Make no mistake, the events of yesterday are a victory and should be hailed as such. For those who have lost loved ones to terror and the war on terror, bin Laden's exit brings relief, justice, and closure. For all Americans, yesterday's victory closes an important chapter in this story. But let us not not lose sight that this is a story of death and destruction.
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