So anyway...
After a very hectic weekend, our family was T.I.R.E.D.! We went to bed early last night...like BEFORE 10:00 last night! Wow!
My hubby turned on the TV last night to catch the weather...and then we heard it: Osama bin Laden is dead! We didn't react much out of mere shock!
As so many of you know, this name has been so prominent in our lives for the past decade. [We] have been looking for this man for so long after being the mastermind behind one of our nation's greatest tragedies; certainly a defining one in several of our lifetimes. It has definitely changed how we live in our nation & how things are done.
Nearly 10 years ago, the horrific nature of terrorism was brought to light when the planes hit each of the towers of the World Trade Center on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, followed by the hit on the Pentagon. I still well up with tears & my heart breaks when I see ANY of the images from that day. Watching the towers fall, seeing the dust & wondering how life in New York & our nation would continue.
There was also an amazing sense of brotherhood (all encompassing) & pride toward each other & our nation for quite some time afterward. American flags flew everywhere. People were wearing flag pins & clothing in support. We were kinder to each other & listened to each other in our time of hurt & need. We all had opinions to share & didn't know how soon was considered safe enough to laugh & joke again.
We all have memories of how that day played out for us & it still evokes emotions thinking about where we were when we heard what happened & saw the first images...and memories of how our lives were effected.
In the time since, patriotism has faded, we have raised our voices & opinions against each other, and we have lost a lot of pride in our nations & ourselves. We have been through hard times since then, and still continue. So, who won? Does pointing fingers at each other & blaming each other really help anything?
Our troops are certainly to be commended for what they have done in these last few years since the surge after 9/11/01. We should always be thanking our troops for their tireless hours, days & years put into making sure we stay a free country. Yesterday was no different. We played the most intense game of hide-and-seek EVER! We won that part of the game!
So now with the amazing scenes from the crowds outside the White House & the scenes from New York upon the news of the death of bin Laden are so moving! With spontaneous outbursts of our national anthem & flags waving...it was joyful patriotism again. This time, not brought on by grief.
The death news brought on so many different emotions. I think it is more of an appropriate sense of relief. But our work is not done.
If you think that Osama being out of the equation has taken care of Al Qaeda, you are SO wrong! There are so many "splinter cells" out there & now there will be a struggle for power...and will will need to be on alert as there are going to be very violent threats (at the very least) as a new leader attempts to emerge. I would like to see this as a downfall for this group, but cautiously positive.
In this positivity, I would hope this would lighten the load for our troops...but it will not be immediate due to my theory stated in the previous paragraph.
Now I am going to point out that I am not the only one who thinks that a VERY abrupt burial at sea was a little strange. I do not advocate parading the dead...I was really bothered when Mother Teresa passed away & she was laid out in the open & on camera. (Please note that I am in NO way comparing Osama bin Laden to Mother Teresa...just a death situation.) I was even bothered by the video of Saddam Hussein's hanging, but it was a relief knowing there was proof. I am from Missouri, a.k.a. the Show Me State, so we tend to want that proof. I almost want that picture & documented proof of DNA knowing that it was really him that we got. To say the body is in custody with the United States & then in the same breath say his body was chucked out to sea was all too weird. Let the conspiracy theories begin...
I also made sure my children knew this morning when they got up so they would be in the know when they went to school today. I am hoping that SOMEONE at school brings this up today! My kids were in the dark about the Japan tragedy until we told them AFTER school! But that's just this school system, I know others are better about bringing up breaking news updates that effect the world as we know it.
Will all of this being said, let's all come back together, show our support for each other & our nation, and bring back our patriotism. Oh, and actually keep it up while we are at it.
Stay tuned...
God Bless, AM~Erica
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