I’m sure you’ve heard – a US Military Operation successfully found and killed Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US.
I am lucky to have not personally known anyone who died on September 11th, but I will never forget that day.
I also won’t forget a Boston College Football game I went to in 2004 when they read the names of the 22 BC Alumni who were lost on 9/11…I was shocked.
And I won’t forget hearing the news last night – very similarly to 9/11, I kept watching TV because I wanted to get as much information as I could.
Today, I saw a lot of people on TV who had lost someone on September 11th. I’m sure they have thought about September 11th every day since it happened. Most of them said they felt some “closure” after hearing the news last night. One woman talking to Anderson Cooper (who has experienced loss of family members) agreed with him that there never really is closure when you lose someone so close to you.
I don’t know if bin Laden’s death makes me feel better, safer, or like we “won”. But, I’m not going to argue with anyone who experienced 9-11 on a more personal level than me and feels better because of his death. I do think earth is a better place without an evil person like bin Laden on it. And I know everyone on earth will take the news of his death in their own way.
Tonight, I had the luxury of forgetting about 9/11 and bin Laden and thinking about something I love – Bruins hockey games. My beloved B’s went played another overtime game, and won it. One of my favorite players, Adam McQuaid, got injured and was taken to the hospital. So, I was thinking a lot more about him than anything.
But, I’m allowed that freedom because of the country I live in. I can watch hockey, feel safe, and write about whatever I’m thinking. I know there are men and women in the armed forces who defend my right to do that, and for them I am thankful. If taking bin Laden out of the equation makes their job easier, then that’s another good thing about it.
But, I know there are people who saw bin Laden as a leader and will want revenge for his death. To them, I say 2,996 is a lot bigger than 1. And there are a lot of people on Facebook’s George W. Bush – Miss Me Yet? Page who are thanking “W” for the capture, think Obama had nothing to do with it, and “wish it happened on W’s watch” – you know I wasn’t a fan of W, but I wish he had caught bin Laden too – because it would have been sooner, not because I agreed with his politics.
I’m sure every American will take bin Laden’s death in their own way. Just remember how lucky we are to live in a country where we are allowed to express those feelings, and the people in uniform who provide us with that freedom. As always, “Go Bruins!”
PS – As I went to use my scanner, I came across this little scrap of newspaper that I thought was appropriate for today.
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