Warning: This may be a blog you don’t agree with. And you don’t have to. Because this is about how I feel.
Tonight has been a strange juxtaposition of emotions for me and I suppose much of America. Tonight, my range of emotions went a bit like this:
- Holy shit balls. They did it.
- Holy shit balls. Obama just won the presidency in 2012.
- Holy shit balls, a lot of wives, mothers, friends, daughters, sons, and husbands will sleep a bit easier tonight.
- Holy shit balls, is this why Wills and Kate postponed their honeymoon?
- Damn straight, Obama… God Bless the United States of America
- Holy crap, people are dancing in the streets
- I wonder how much a ticket to DC would be?
- Dude, how badass a career achievement is it for the Navy Seal that got to fire that shot.
- Wow, finally… some joy at the twin towers
Ugh… I am celebrating death…
Then I saw this photo and I realized how I felt about the world news tonight.
I remembered that 10 years ago when others ran out, they ran in.
And tonight, as others continued their cowardly run, brave soldiers ran in.
This is where I think my emotional roller coaster has ended. This isn’t about celebrating death. Tonight’s celebrations were for the families of the Americans, military and civilian, that lost their lives in this fight. In this fight, that we didn’t start.
This celebration wasn’t about one man’s death or an end to terrorism. This was about finally feeling like we had some kind of victory. That it might not be over, but finally, FINALLY… the every day ordinary people of America had some of the hope they lost 10 years ago when they raced down flights of stairs, or rushed out of DC. Finally.
Several posts and notes from people on Twitter or Facebook truly gave me great pause. As a Christian how could I feel joy in vengeance? People said that this should be a time of somber reflection and serious thought.
As to the somber reflection and serious thought… eff that… I’ve had that since I feared for friends’ lives in New York and DC. I had that since I questioned my own fears each time I traveled. I’ve had that as questioned my own prejudices and stereotypes.
I read that it’s not our place to judge or exact revenge. That vengeance is the Lord’s. I am quite sure that the next sentence is me rationalizing… but I am going to do it anyway.
If the Lord works through us on Earth to share his good news and if the Lord works through people on Earth to show his love – Well, then I am pretty sure He uses people on Earth for his vengeance. Tonight, He used the Navy Seals.
What I feel and what I think, right now, as a God fearing woman is this: Grateful.
Tonight I am grateful that I live in a country that two Presidents with differing political views shared the same tenacity and dedication to finding a murderer. A MURDERER.
Tonight I am grateful that for the innocent people that survived the attacks on 9/11 they can perhaps feel a sense of small peace that their attacker has been caught.
Tonight I am grateful that for the loved ones that lost so much on that morning 10 years ago, they have these few moments of joy. A feeling that has been so lost to them for the past 10 years. And I refuse to question the manner in which they express it. I refuse.
Tonight I am grateful that the men and women that were covered in dust and ash on the downtown streets of New York, might feel clean once more.
Tonight I mourn for the tragic state of the world that such evil exists. I mourn that such evil exists that we feel the need to celebrate its destruction. I wish those celebrations didn’t have to exist.
But, tonight I will not weep for a killer. Tonight I will not mourn a evil man’s death. Tonight I will be grateful. Grateful to my country and my God.
And tomorrow, well tomorrow I’ll probably sign up to volunteer on Obama’s re-election campaign and I might drop a little thank you card off at George W’s.
May 2, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Yes, 100% YES. I’ve got friends who lived in NYC during this time. I remember where I was, what I was doing and what my first reaction was to the news coverage of the first plane hitting. And I’m truly happy that we, as America, took out the mastermind.
I’ve seen a lot of people saying that Obama is taking credit for this. I realize that there are many out there who don’t dig our president, but I never wanted to type SHUT THE FUCK UP so badly in all my life. He gave Bush credit. He thanked the military. He’s the one who kept this mission a priority and saw it through. He may not have been out there, hunting the bastard down, but he’s the one who approved the continuing mission to find him.
Maybe I just never paid attention previously, but I’ve never seen so much hatred thrown around so casually towards a president. I think the man is awesome and has integrity that most politicians don’t. I think he’s been handed the biggest pile of bullshit to deal with, with the most closed-minded group of congress people, ever, to have to play nice with. I honestly think it all comes down to race, which is so ridiculously sad in 2011. I just hope that this gives him the boost he needs to cut through the Washington bullshit and get done what needs to get done.
Also, anyone who thinks the birth certificate is fake is so stupid that they don’t deserve the time it takes for me to tell them how stupid and racist they are.
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May 2, 2011 at 2:19 pm
Well said Well said!!! Here’s the sad part, my daughter face painted a US flag on her face today. Some kids admonished and made fun of her. “Why are you celebrating death?!” These kids don’t get it. My child does. Her dad spent over 23 yrs in the US military, the majority of his career was spent with mid-east conflict. From the 1st Gulf war to the most recent war on terror. My daughter is 12, so a big part of her life centered around the constant deployments and moves, and all of the stress that a family endures. Her dad was special ops and their deployment tempo is very high. He’s out of the military now but we’ll certainly never forget any of that time and we have a lot of respect for the work that these men and women do. So, when kids at school just laugh or make jokes, or put down my daughter for her show of spirit it is because they don’t “get it” and in my opinion are showing their ignorance. I agree, it isn’t celebrating death —- it is celebrating a victory that has been a long time in the process. Frankly, I’m glad I have lived to see the day that this SOB was brought down. Every American should feel some PRIDE in their country for this reason. I surely do.
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May 3, 2011 at 10:55 pm
Yeah, Sherry, that’s just about right.
Doc
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