"Really? They finally got him?" These were my thoughts as I lay in bed. Surprise. Disbelief. And finally, hope that the world will be a safer place.
And then I went to the NewYorkTimes.com and CNN.com and saw photos of Americans around the U.S. celebrating Osama's death with flags, fireworks, and cheers.
And then my hope was gone.
Have we learned nothing over the last ten years? Shame on people for celebrating death so outwardly. And double shame on the media for posting these photos on the Internet for the world to see.
Of course, following this story was another piece about how the terror level is even higher.
Yep. Instead of reacting in a way that would not feed a terrorist's motives any more than necessary, we celebrated in a way that would make them hate us even more.
Perhaps Americans abroad have a different view of these kind of events than those back home. If I had billions to donate to a cause, I would make sure all Americans could experience a world outside of their borders.
Until then, I guess the celebrations will continue.
What do you think?
6 comments:
People back home must think it is like when the Italians won the Soccer World Championship. My personal experience and the reaction from other Swiss or German expats in the US is a bit different.
We are not amused by the media back home, too. Of course, there are some people out celebrating somewhere, New York, Washington DC, I don't know where. Aside from a dozen bozzos in the street it is not like the whole nations rushed out on to the streets or like winning a Super Bowl as one online news wrote. It is far from what some media says and shows.
I agree that most Americans did not celebrate. But it's unfortunate that the media had to display this otherwise. It's not responsible at all.
Completely agree! Thanks for posting on this topic because it is a huge matter of concern! It shows that Americans have indeed not learned anything regarding death. I really liked this article by Nicholas Kristof in the NY Times: http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/after-osama-bin-laden/ I think it sums things up quite perfectly!
Thanks for sharing!
As an Australian living in Switzerland I guess my investment in Bin Laden was not as great. My thought went to the hundreds of thousand of people that have died in the name of the quest to capture/kill this one man, by both the hands of Al Queda and the alliance. There is never closure with another death just more fuel for the fire. I am working at an asylum seekers centre in Lausanne. There are many displaced people there from Afghanistan and Iraq. I wonder how we can all help them now that they do not have a home where they feel safe (if they have ever had one)?
One day we will all need to sit down and talk about a solution. I see people from Bosnia and Kosova at the centre where I work sitting and talking in the shade everyday.
These were my thoughts exactly! btw, I am a Swiss that has been living abroad since 1995 and visit your blog to get to know my country (!) and because I love your style.
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