Photo By: Brian Kusler

It’s dominated the news and probably a good deal of your conversations. I was shocked and had resigned myself to believing that Osama bin Laden would somehow always elude us and be one of those mysteries, a historic enigma that everyone had their own theory about. But that’s not the case, justice was served and that particular manhunt has real closure. I recognize there are those that don’t believe this is justice and that there is no death worth rejoicing over. Fair enough, but that’s not what this post is about.

The climate around the country since the news broke, has been somewhat reminiscent of the days after 9/11. People have gathered in patriotic and emotional displays throughout the country in what feels like a celebration of closure, on that chapter at least. Although some talking heads have already resorted to completely politicizing the event, if feels good to have a common rallying point. The times where we can breathe a collective sigh of relief are certainly few and far between. Realistically, it won’t last long, likely to disintegrate and make way for the partisanship that naturally surrounds an election.

There’s an AP article by Dan Balz discussing how bin Laden’s death has created a moment of national unity. I’ve noticed celebrations taking place in both blue and red states and across political, religious and class lines. Everyone knows that this doesn’t bring an end to terrorism and the threats of violence that exist in a geopolitically shaky globe, but it’s such a refreshing interval. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all enjoy this space, this emotional release for a little longer than normal?

We Want to Know:

• Can you recall an event that occurred during your lifetime that became a rallying point and brought your community together?
• Did you participate in a celebration upon hearing the news about Osama bin Laden?
• How long do you think the refrain from bitter partisanship will last or has it already come to a close?
• Do you feel more camaraderie and more patriotic when events like this happen?

When hearing about these types of victories, it’s easy to forget there are still soldiers putting their lives on the line. Please continue to remember them in your thoughts and prayers.

Start the discussion below!

Tags: 9/11, osama bin laden, terrorism

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011 at 7:39 am and is filed under Community Oriented, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.