Osama Bin Laden: dead

[Crankin]

I think I saw that 3-4K people were "dancing in the streets" on the Boston Common last night. It looked mainly to be students, who were happy to be distracted from studying for finals...
Two of those planes left from Boston. Someone from my synagogue was on one of them. The "heroic" flight attendant lived in my town. But, I still can't condone the partying that has gone on. It just feels wrong.
I feel pretty proud of the work my son does right now.

[Tri Girl]

I'm sure there are many mixed emotions, and while I might not have reacted the way they did (the celebrating/dancing/rejoicing), I can understand the high level of emotions associated with those most intimately involved.

It's not on the same scale, but I live in OKC and went through the trauma of the Murrah Federal Building bombing in 1995. When Tim McVeigh was put to death the city felt a certain sense of finalization. We didn't rejoice publicly, but you could tell there was a sense of "it's finally over."

I don't think this is over (with the terrorists), but I can understand how those affected most intimately by bin Laden feel happiness and relief at his death.

[PamNY]

I feel pretty proud of the work my son does right now.

You should be proud. Let us know if he ever needs care packages.

Living through 9/11 gave me new appreciation for what military people must go through when they return to normal life after going to war. What I went through was a minuscule fraction of what they endure, but I have learned that some of it stays with you forever.

[Crankin]

I am not a flag saluting yahoo, but I hate to tell you that the citizens of any country, I mean democratic country, do not know everything the government is doing. I don't mean this in a bad way, but there is always going to be intelligence/counter-intelligence and things going on that even some in the government don't know about. It is their job to do this. It is a little hard for me to believe that some are doubting that bin Laden is really dead. I believe they have DNA evidence, but don't quote me on that. But this doubting reminds me a little bit of the "birthers." I think it's good to question, but something just doesn't sit well with me. Like I said, earlier, there is evil in the world.
Yes, people will still be going off to war. Some people actually want to join the military and they are well aware of what could happen. I know that everyone here is supportive of the people in the military, but if I've learned anything from my experience with my son, it's that the military is a career choice for some and for others it's a lifeline compared to where they came from. It is very hard for others to understand that. Like anything else, we only hear about the bad things.
Pam, no care packages are needed. Scott will back in San Diego on May 10. He's married, so he gets his homecoming with his wife and then we are going out there on the 25th. He has not wanted for anything during his deployments; we had regular satellite phone communication and email this time. When he was in Iraq, he had Skype. The only thing he ever asked for were ice pops for his men in July (you know those horrid sugary things in plastic, that you can freeze), and more Smart Wool socks for himself this winter. So, the wool weenie thread had an influence! He and his wife seem absolutely normal and able to handle the stress of 7 months of separation. Of course, she was a Marine, too. I don't see any signs of PTSD in him, and any weirdness he has, was there before he was deployed or even in the military! He is smart, kind and tough as nails at the same time. The things that made him a good bike racer are the same things that have helped him in the Marines.

[Xrayted]

I don't watch tv. I heard about it from my Mom on the phone yesterday as I was heading into work early. She said we had some military guys show up in helicopters, go in and shoot him in the head and then threw him in the ocean. I actually argued with my Mom the whole way to work. They threw him in the ocean???!! I told her that just wouldn't be true at all. She told me Obama himself made the announcement and that the details were still being released by the WH. I told her that if they did indeed do that, court marshals would be forthcoming and all hell would break loose at the top. She said the order came from the top. I said that if we did it that way, we have just made bin Laden the martyr he always wanted to be. That's not a good thing.

I eventually got a chance to go online during a break, look a few things up and lo and behold, that's what we did alright. Well, color me shocked. It's the absolute last thing I thought we would do in this situation. I'm actually ashamed of us a bit. I have no problem with going in there, trying to get him, having to kill him if necessary but then dumping him in the ocean? WTF is that all about? Who exactly thought that could be a good idea? I heard the explanations and I tell you this, had this happened to our VP or Pres, we would have gone off the deep end. It's just wrong, people. We don't operate like that here. At least, I had hoped we didn't. I heard their explanations on why they did it and I'm still not okay with it. I was full of mixed feelings last night. I got home from work at midnight and sat up till 4 am reading, trying to comprehend, watching videos of US citizens dancing in the streets. When did we become that which we hate so much in others?

How did these "bad guys" get to have so much power in the first place that we ended up in this situation anyway? Oh wait...

I hope this goes in a positive direction. We can help facilitate that across the globe by how we react and how we go forth... what we chose as our lesson and future.

Jon Stewart sums it up so well for me...

"I am way too close to this whole episode to be rational about this in any way, shape or form," he said. "Last night was a good night, for me, and not just for New York or D.C. or America, but for human people. The face of the Arab world in America's eyes for too long has been bin Laden, and now it is not. Now the face is only the young people in Egypt and Tunisia and all the Middle Eastern countries around the world where freedom rises up. Al Qaeda's opportunity is gone."

That is where I chose to direct my thoughts as well.

[PamNY]

Crankin, I too am surprised at the skepticism over bin Laden's death.

Yes, I know what the ice pops are -- I sent a few packages to Iraq in the past. I shipped several food items that I would personally call "horrid."

[NbyNW]

I think the government has adequate proof that they got the right guy. It would be highly embarrassing if it came out later that they didn't. Why make a press statement at all if they weren't sure?

I personally don't feel a need to see the evidence. I think releasing photos of a body would just throw fuel on the fire of those who hate us, so I don't think making the photos public serves any purpose. Let the evidence be preserved for historians to examine far, far into the future.