Justice For The Families and Friends Of The Victims Of 9/11

Like many people with consciences, I have mixed feelings about cheering the death of an individual, it just doesn’t feel right in many ways. But when I look back on that day in 2001 when I was out painting the trim on my garage and my wife came out and said, “you better come in here” and I did. We had some contractors at the house too and invited them in to watch what was happening. I still remember talking to my wife as I was watching the television and seeing the first tower start to collapse, we all let out an audible gasp. I remember thinking, oh my god, how many people were still in that building. It was horrifying, a memory that will never fade.

I think about walking around in a daze for the next couple of weeks, how the campus I work at was somber, everyone walked around stunned. We had a vigil at the clock tower on that day and classes were optional for the next two days. Counseling was available to students, faculty and staff. I think about how I was glad my mother wasn’t alive to see this, she had passed just a year before. It would have been devastating to her, as someone who served her country in World War II and worked at the Pentagon, where one of the attacks occurred.

So as I think back to those days, I have a larger context for what is happening with the celebrations. As a country, we were all attacked on 9/11 and even though I have never been a person who thinks revenge is justice, I can’t help but feel closure as an American. I can’t help but feel joy for those families who watched the same live coverage that I did, knowing that a family member may very well be in those buildings. I can’t help but be relieved that this man will never order another attack, will never kill an innocent person, will no longer be able to put out a video tape our audio tape gloating about his killing of innocent people.

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May 2, 2011 - Posted by ExtremeLiberal | Afghanistan War, President Barack Obama | 9/11, Osama bin Laden

9 Comments »

I too am glad he is gone but sorry that it had to come to this. As someone who disagrees with POTUS on almost everything, I must say, the more I hear about this operation and the way it was handled, the more I think that BO made the right choices here. It could have really blown up in his face having chosen boots over bombs if something went wrong. But I think it was 100% the right choice.

Comment by Patrick | May 2, 2011 | Reply
Interesting that 66 years ago (April 30, 1945) another despot took a bullet through his head in his underground Berlin bunker. I am against the death penalty but hold exceptions in cases of egregious crimes and evidence.

Can you imagine the brouhaha of taking him alive (and ABC says he was first given a chance to surrender but evidently wanted to go down as a martyr)? Now we won’t have political arguments about WHERE to detain him, WHERE to hold his trial, manner of execution, etc. I have not supported this war in Afghanistan but always defer to President Obama as he reads the security reports daily and knows much more than nearly every citizen.

Now after a few moments of American “togetherness”, let the political games begin again. Flipped through the channels last night and into the morning, and noticed one network was already having on guests who were mostly complimenting the former president for beginning this search for Bin Laden, but not telling how the poorly executed attack at Tora Bora, then soon taking our eye off the prize (in order to attack the “other” bad man, Saddam Hussein) maybe prolonged our national agony nearly a decade.

Dalton Fury, one of the Delta Force commanders at Tora Bora, wrote a book about how close we came then to capturing Bin Laden in 2001, but who blamed over reliance then on Afghan military forces who at the last moment stood down, leaving U.S. forces without their support, plus giving Bin Laden enough time to escape to his “friends” in Pakistan. I am glad this time that President Obama didn’t rely on Pakistan (or let them know so they could not tip off al Qaeda). Surely Pakistan would have continued to support him regardless of what they’ve been saying for years.

Kill Bin Laden: A Delta Force Commander's Account of the Hunt for the World's Most Wanted Man

In fact, Bush went cold on bringing Bin Laden to justice telling Fred Barnes on Fox News:

“I truly am not that concerned about him.”

Comment by Grant in Texas | May 2, 2011 | Reply
Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins are calling on President Obama to release the gruesome, gory photos of Bin Laden with a bullet hole in his head. So what if such a picture might inflame the radicals around the world to carry out terror campaigns?

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/54119.html

First, release the long form of a birth certificate…now release the bloody pictures!!! Catch and release!

Comment by Grant in Texas | May 2, 2011 | Reply
When will the firebaggers chime in their criticism. Even our black right-winger Patrick here can even find at least ONE reason to compliment our president.

Thought this was an interesting find at MSNBC:

Bin Laden’s death — in Pakistan — recalls one of Obama’s supposed “lowest” moments during the ’08 presidential campaign, in Aug. 2007. In an Aug. 1 speech, per NBC’s John Bailey, Obama delivered these words: “If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and [Pakistan] President Musharraf will not act, we will.” At a debate two weeks later, Obama’s Democratic rivals used those remarks to paint Obama as either naïve or inexperienced. Said Hillary Clinton: “Pakistan is on a knife’s edge. It is easily, unfortunately, a target for the jihadists. And, therefore, you’ve got to be very careful about what it is you say with respect to Pakistan.” Said Chris Dodd: “The only person that separates us from a jihadist government in Pakistan with nuclear weapons is President Musharraf. And, therefore, I thought it was irresponsible to engage in that kind of a suggestion here. That’s dangerous. Words mean something in campaigns.” And said Edwards: “Musharraf is not a wonderful leader, but he provides some stability in Pakistan. And there is a great risk, if he’s overthrown, about a radical government taking over.”

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/02/6569575-first-thoughts-a-game-changer

So very early on it was Democrats taking the potshots at Barack Obama (and their firebag supporters still carry the water).

Comment by Grant in Texas | May 2, 2011 | Reply
- The faux “liberal” Dylan Ratigan just made reference to Obama’s old promise to remove Osama bin Laden and then in a snide aside, saying that it was about the only promise Obama has kept!
  
  Comment by Grant in Texas | May 2, 2011 | Reply
- I think that, unfortunately with the sea burial of the body, the administration will be forced to release at least some of the photos to silence the naysayers. Either that or produce a long form death certificate ( ha ). However, if it is true that they gave him a proper muslim burrial, where they washed his body and wrapped it in white cloth then maybe there is a picture of him a little cleaned up at least as cleaned up as you can be after being double tapped in the face. Thats right, get ready for the “deathers”. It will be funny to hear people try to say it was a fake, and the complete silence from Osama won’t even register with them.
  
  Comment by Patrick | May 2, 2011 | Reply
  - In a sane nation, the forensic photos, the proof of bin Laden’s death could be submitted for everyone in Congress, in the Pentagon, CIA to see (maybe even Brian Williams, Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Wolf Blitzer, etc.) and then having BOTH Republican and Democratic leaders attest to the authenticity of the evidence. But it will never happen, just as Boner and Cantor would never firmly state that Obama was a natural born citizen (but they did “take him at his word!!). The right-wing just cannot give this president an ounce of credit before November 2012.
    
    I don’t remember seeing Reagan’s corpse after his death, always just a flag-draped and closed casket with Nancy creasing the folds of Old Glory with her fingers. But I have accepted it was really his body inside the box.
    
    Comment by Grant in Texas | May 2, 2011 | Reply
In some sick sort of way, watching the news this morning reminded me of them, after 9/11, they were dancing and partying in the streets- burning the American flag. The last thing I’d want to do is be like them …. It’s a mixed-emotions day … My heart breaks all over again for the friends, families and victims of 9/11, and that’s it.

I feel a deep sadness today, nothing can bring all those that deceased back. :(

Comment by michele | May 2, 2011 | Reply
- I haven’t laughed or felt joyous, but considering that Osama bin Laden would have eventually, in all probability, received the death penalty (as we are not a pro-life nation in such circumstances), we are saved a national argument, partisan screaming over where he should be imprisoned, be tried, the form of execution, etc., etc.
  
  I was seven years old when victory was declared in Japan and my parents took me down to the courthouse square in my northern Indiana town. There was similar jubilation then, as I saw on TV last night, spontaneous parades, singing, bell ringing, fusees lit, firecrackers. I remember 18-wheeler flat trailer trucks being stopped on the US highway which then was our Main Street, and people piling onto them, turning each truck into an impromptu float. In fact I was afraid when a woman fell off a car going around a corner and she rolled up at my feet, looking up at me laughing. My father told me she was okay, ONLY DRUNK! It was the first drunk I had ever encountered and she scared me. But I am glad I was a part of our nation’s history. I don’t know how else Americans might have behaved, giving the strain we have been under for the past ten years.
  
  Comment by Grant in Texas | May 2, 2011 | Reply