At this point this information is not new. You would have to live in a cave to not know Osama bin Laden died Monday to two fatal gun shot wounds to the head. Obviously, he was super human because they needed two! Everybody else dies with only one shot to the head. I think this is where the term "over kill" was coined, perhaps?
Sunday night (Monday where he was killed) Facebook was swamped with joy about his death. "Woot" and "woo hoo" and "yay!" All I could think of was how this was going to hurt us. Humans has a nasty habit of playing eye for an eye game. The humans with simple minds want to run out and hurt someone because we got hurt. If I remember right it was Jesus that preached we stop that kind of caveman thinking and become enlightened enough to stop chasing each other around to one up another.
I fear the people that followed him will now have more fuel added to their already insane fire to react violently to not only the news of his death but to the news of Americas reaction to it. What we have unknowingly said to those people is "bring it on!"
Americans have been swept away with the notion that this one man is to blame. I am not saying I agreed with him. I know he hated us. I know his heart was filled with anger, hatred, and malice. I know he claimed he was responsible. I just think we bought into the idea he was to blame so deeply we could not see the big picture. As if killing him would make the problem disappear. As if murder reduces murder. We as a nation never stopped to think, period.
Put yourself, just for a moment, into Osama bin Laden's shoes. Our way of living so freely is a scary threat to his belief. He sees our way of living as a cancer. He sees his people wearing American clothes and listening to American music and eating American foods. He fears his culture is disappearing and he reacts. He finds others scared as well. They talk about how they should ban together and find ways to change the culture back into Islam and not American. How is that any different to what groups here in America do? There are more radical Christians groups here in the USA that have money and political influence to make changes based on their beliefs. They have followers too. They are doing things I don't like. Should we shoot them too?
Now, put yourself in Osama bin Laden's family's shoes. They don't have those same beliefs. They work and some live here in the USA from time to time. His family is large and rich. They are westernized. Yet, they still love the little Osama they use to know. They are saddened and concerned about how he lives his life. They worry for his safety daily because they know he has pissed of the US and they know he is being hunted down like a fox. Even though he is not doing as they expected. Even though he is causing trouble, the family bond is still there. Do you think they are rejoicing and celebrating his death? Do you think they are outside pumping their fist screaming "USA!!!" Are they Facebooking and saying, "woot!"
I think they are sad and crying for his life and probably angry on how we are handling it. Wouldn't you be that way as well if it was your nutty religious fanatic trouble making brother?
We need to stop the eye for an eye mentality and find some love in our hearts. Should start by being humbled by his death.
Sunday night (Monday where he was killed) Facebook was swamped with joy about his death. "Woot" and "woo hoo" and "yay!" All I could think of was how this was going to hurt us. Humans has a nasty habit of playing eye for an eye game. The humans with simple minds want to run out and hurt someone because we got hurt. If I remember right it was Jesus that preached we stop that kind of caveman thinking and become enlightened enough to stop chasing each other around to one up another.
I fear the people that followed him will now have more fuel added to their already insane fire to react violently to not only the news of his death but to the news of Americas reaction to it. What we have unknowingly said to those people is "bring it on!"
Americans have been swept away with the notion that this one man is to blame. I am not saying I agreed with him. I know he hated us. I know his heart was filled with anger, hatred, and malice. I know he claimed he was responsible. I just think we bought into the idea he was to blame so deeply we could not see the big picture. As if killing him would make the problem disappear. As if murder reduces murder. We as a nation never stopped to think, period.
Put yourself, just for a moment, into Osama bin Laden's shoes. Our way of living so freely is a scary threat to his belief. He sees our way of living as a cancer. He sees his people wearing American clothes and listening to American music and eating American foods. He fears his culture is disappearing and he reacts. He finds others scared as well. They talk about how they should ban together and find ways to change the culture back into Islam and not American. How is that any different to what groups here in America do? There are more radical Christians groups here in the USA that have money and political influence to make changes based on their beliefs. They have followers too. They are doing things I don't like. Should we shoot them too?
Now, put yourself in Osama bin Laden's family's shoes. They don't have those same beliefs. They work and some live here in the USA from time to time. His family is large and rich. They are westernized. Yet, they still love the little Osama they use to know. They are saddened and concerned about how he lives his life. They worry for his safety daily because they know he has pissed of the US and they know he is being hunted down like a fox. Even though he is not doing as they expected. Even though he is causing trouble, the family bond is still there. Do you think they are rejoicing and celebrating his death? Do you think they are outside pumping their fist screaming "USA!!!" Are they Facebooking and saying, "woot!"
I think they are sad and crying for his life and probably angry on how we are handling it. Wouldn't you be that way as well if it was your nutty religious fanatic trouble making brother?
We need to stop the eye for an eye mentality and find some love in our hearts. Should start by being humbled by his death.
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