Hi friends~
I've been on Facebook a lot lately, working on my writing stuff: making lots of good connections with other writers, editors, etc.
I've learned that FB doesn't have to be all about, "I'm having a latte @ Starbuck's. Wish you were here!" or "In the grocery, picking up pork chops..." Thank goodness, b/c no form of social media could be any sillier, or useless, in my opinion. Besides, who CARES?
Which brings me an NPR article that I found just now on FB: "Cheering the End of Bin Laden: Let the Kids Yell." You may guess I'm not high on National Public Radio as a media source, but this article is a solid voice in that wilderness. Please read the short piece & tell me what you think...
I've been on Facebook a lot lately, working on my writing stuff: making lots of good connections with other writers, editors, etc.
I've learned that FB doesn't have to be all about, "I'm having a latte @ Starbuck's. Wish you were here!" or "In the grocery, picking up pork chops..." Thank goodness, b/c no form of social media could be any sillier, or useless, in my opinion. Besides, who CARES?
Which brings me an NPR article that I found just now on FB: "Cheering the End of Bin Laden: Let the Kids Yell." You may guess I'm not high on National Public Radio as a media source, but this article is a solid voice in that wilderness. Please read the short piece & tell me what you think...
~~
And just because you're here, this is my take:
I absolutely, wholeheartedly, without question agree with her assessment. This is esp. to the point: "But I think people are mistaking relief and a release of fear and collective breath-holding for hate."
It's just plain BORING to me to see the Media playing to such type that they can't "get" the real reason people are cheering. (As if they - the Media- are above being human, eschewing simpleton's emotion...). Any rational, fair minded person will not cheer & jeer death. This is far too serious a matter for that. However, there is something in our collective consciousness that acknowledges justice served -- and why not?
It's just plain BORING to me to see the Media playing to such type that they can't "get" the real reason people are cheering. (As if they - the Media- are above being human, eschewing simpleton's emotion...). Any rational, fair minded person will not cheer & jeer death. This is far too serious a matter for that. However, there is something in our collective consciousness that acknowledges justice served -- and why not?
Are we not human?
And are we to be shamed for our humanity?
If so, I find myself duly shamed. But that doesn't mean I'll wear it.
~~~
18 comments:
So BO made a Gutsy call?
They say that he showed so true courage, determination, and reall American spirit, is what I've been hearing and reading on these utterly foolish and stupid blogs.
Lest say that he didn't make that gutsy call?
What would the wole world be saing about him knowing that he knew where OBL was and didn't do anything about it.
He's be run out of this country on a rail let along not even be considered for reelection. So I think that this call was a no brainer.
And nothing more than that. So lets not put this dumbass on a pedestal.
Obama is taking credit for doing only what he only could have done.
The Navy Seals and intelligence are owed a great deal of credit for a job well done in killing Osama Bin Laden. But Barack Obama is so full of himself he will get the credit.
I've been struggling with this a little bit. On one level, I am elated that justice has finally been served and that our country has shown that we will not tolerate mass violence - we will not give up the fight until we feel that some appropriate level of retribution is achieved.
On the other hand, I admit that a I am a little uneasy with the celebration of any human's death. "Do not rejoice when your enemies fall, and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble, or else the LORD will see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from them" (Prov. 24.17).
There is a very good article about these conflicting emotions at God’s Politics A Blog by Jim Wallis and friends. http://blog.sojo.net/2011/05/02/how-should-we-respond-to-the-death-of-osama-bin-laden/
Let 'em yell. I don't agree with Sirota, the blogger cited by your NPR source. Not in this case, anyway.
I don't think hate has anything to do with it. I think it's a bit of relief. And, really, it's pride in the US effort by intelligence, SEALS and those calling the shots.
I don't think it has much to do with fear either. I read that the number one search by 13-20 year olds on Google in the first 24 hours was "who is osama bin laden." Apparently they didn't even know enough to fear him.
The 'yelling kids' should be taught that civilized people don't rejoice at violence of any sort, don't celebrate the death of anyone, even if that one deserved it. And Ossama deserved to die - he was evil and a terror guy(though a primitive symbol of terror, not the brains).
As for Obama, he takes the easy, quick way: kill him, he ordered. No attempt to catch Ossama alive and bring him to trial (trial and human rights procedures are only for the 'dumb' republican Bush who brought Saddam Hossein to trial, not for the 'enlightened',liberal,democrat Obama). Is this America?!
Wait, soon Obama will come up with another sensation - he's got the clue to America's economic problems. He won't pay any debts; he'll just confiscate and/or 'freeze' the capital and assets that belong to foreigners (in the first stage), stir anarchy in other countries as pleases him and try to conquer and subdue the world. Is this America?! It sounds more like Germany in the late thirties. History repeats itself - how sad!
BO/BS~ He did exactly what the CentCom told him to do. I can see them all standing around his desk, sliding the paper in front of him & handing him the pen...he signs, as huge drops of sweat ripple down his forehead & splash onto the paper...
Sandy~ I know right where you sit, b/c I sit beside you. There are conflicting emotions/philosophical points at play here. I believe that it's okay to be ambivalent about it. And I think what you said is the more honest thing.
What we can't stand is sitting w/ ambivalence. We want something black & white, & this just ain't gonna ever be that.
Jim~ I think you're correct: relief, not fear (for the younger ones). Pride & a sense of security that the "powers-that-be" did the right thing. Thanks for the thoughtful comment.
Hi DUTA! Perhaps you're right; that we should scold the younger ones (or even older) who cheered. But, I think we must also understand what the cheering is/was about, as our author said. (We're the ones who're always supposed to try & "understand" our enemies, no? How about a little reciprocity?)
Oh, & as for Obama & 'human rights', the irony there is just delicious, no?!
Germany in the 1930's...so noted...
Heaven help us.
It would be nice if the reaction to the killing of Bin Laden boiled down to anything as simple as either hate or fear.
For many of us the carnage he was responsible for made him more than evil in our minds. He and his band of merry men changed our hearts and minds and this nation, forever.
One of the things I said in the first few days after September 11th was - I never wanted to raise my kids in a world where they would know this kind of fear. It was something we saw on the news, bombed out buildings and people slaughtered in the streets.
I do not walk around in fear every day. But I will never feel as safe or as blissfully ignorant as I was on September 10th, 2001.
That is Osama Bin Laden's fault. He was the figure-head. And somehow his death is not the same as just anyone else's death. His death brings out the most basic emotions and it makes people uncomfortable to admit they might have been able to shoot that man between the eyes themselves.
Trial? Sure, we are civilized and all that, but in this case - I'll be quite happy with primitive emotion. I can't be high-minded and intellectual about it.
Jim's right...I did a post on the fact that most American kids had never heard of bin Laden. WHERE THE HECK are OUR TEACHERS?
Would you THINK that was an event big enough to get a mention in American schools? The kids in the classroom where Bush was reading that morning grew up realizing who bin Laden was AND saying they appreciate Mr Bush's treatment of them that morning..I blogged on that, too, I wish the msm had thought it worth discussing, don't you?
I absolutely hate rejoicing over someone's death, but this was NOT about that (tho I felt a twinge of guilt, I have to admit)...it was about a (admittedly false) sense of security that this guy's GONE, it was about America making a great hit, and America celebrating the guys who got the man who killed at least 3000 of us....at a time when we haven't felt proud of America for at least 2 1/2 years.
This isn't like Huffington Post having to shut down the day Tony Snow died because liberals were so excited he was dead and they crashed the blog with too many "SNOW'S DEAD..HURRAH!" comments.......THAT is disgusting; celebrating a monster is NOT.
Poor America can't tell that difference anymore.
WOW>
Like Bette Jo and the other commenters I have no problem with the Osamas of this world being killed cold-bloodly with no trial. I'm for fighting evil with evil.
(I am just wondering about the ugly double standard of those "beautiful liberal souls" that permit this kind of conduct only to their political idol Obama, not to others).
I do have a problem, however, with the celebration of violence on the streets, and with the Osama-Obama festival in the Media, especially that it is not over, Osama's death is not even the beginning of the end of terrorism.
The muslims of the world are in a state of shock now caused by the fact that their own brother Obama is acting against them to score political points towards 2012 elections. They'll recover sooner or later from their coma and - strike.( Ask the israelis about it; they are forced to kill an Osama almost everyday, and hundreds of new Osamas, fed by the western world, replace the dead one).
"(I am just wondering about the ugly double standard of those "beautiful liberal souls" that permit this kind of conduct only to their political idol Obama, not to others)."
I seem to remember that the Bush administration killed al Qaeda's "number two" guy five or six times without one objection coming from any "beautiful liberal soul".
And if you think that Obama is a liberal's political idol, you don't keep up much. Our idol is Dennis Kucinich. :-) Certainly not the slightly left of center Obama.
@Jim,
Your hero, Dennis Kuchinich, is a bit naive in his demands . I'll not start a debate on that, but I'll say this:
I'm not american, but I'm aware of the fact that american presidents cannot and will not solve major internal problems (it's too complicated , and too late), so they seek action outside, trying among other things, to sell american 'democracy' to countries that don't even know the meaning of the word.
But there's a way and there's a way. I don't like Obama's way of intervening in other countries, asking heads of state to step down, 'freezing' their assets, sending Nato to bomb their cities, causing anarchy, etc..
I think the world should be made aware of his destructive potential before it's too late.
"I think the world should be made aware of his destructive potential before it's too late."
I wouldn't worry. All the world has to do is watch Fox News.
Susannah: I told you my personal story of fear over 911 and how my then 8 year old told me to quit watching TV if it scared me so much. When I got the “news” that Bin Laden was dead, I felt such relief. No cheering came from my home, not even from my now 18 yr old, but that’s us. Not everyone reacts the same way and I don’t expect them to. Plus, not every 18 yr old has been as exposed to politics, the war on terror or Bin Laden in the same way. Heck, my 13 yr old probably knows more about politics than some full grown adults.
Also, young adults like to party. It’s what they do. Give them a reason and they’re drinking and cheering. It’s not that they are unfeeling or callous…they are young and living life—having fun. I didn’t take their celebrating as anything but a reason to have a good time.
And I agree that it's ashame they haven't been "taught" about the war on terror and Bin Laden. But that was their parent's job. And as in many cases, the parents have dropped the ball...
Heh, one good thing came out of all this mess: The amount of $ we spend on Pakistan. It's funny how we can pays them, secure the Hindu-Kush, yet leave our southern borders wide open via Janet "Da Man" Napolitano and the prez' policies of amnesty for all.
This country is a wreck, and it's getting worse. Our king visited Texas without a thought of a briefing from the governor. Why? Because he was trying to muster votes from illegals and leftists.
We'd better do better than gingrich, daniels, and pawlenty.
Either my comments didn't show up, or have been deleted. Given the blogger dilemma, I could go either way on what happened.
Hi all~Thanks so much for coming by. I've been rather awol lately - missed the whole "Blogger Problem", so I guess that's good. Thank you for your comments: I'll be back to answer individually...
Meanwhile, BPB, I retrieved your comment from email & will repost. Delete you? What the heck? ;)
BluePitbull's original comment:
"Heh, one good thing came out of all this mess: The amount of $ we spend on Pakistan. It's funny how we can pays them, secure the Hindu-Kush, yet leave our southern borders wide open via Janet "Da Man" Napolitano and the prez' policies of amnesty for all.
This country is a wreck, and it's getting worse. Our king visited Texas without a thought of a briefing from the governor. Why? Because he was trying to muster votes from illegals and leftists.
We'd better do better than gingrich, daniels, and pawlenty."
Thanks again~
Ah, I think it was the blogger failure that stopped it.
Nice to talk to you again. Hopefully we get a REAL front runner soon. My money is on Cain.
BetteJo~ Hey! You've been in my thoughts SO much lately. I know what you mean about not being able to be 'high-minded' & sophisticated about it all. We're all human...
Z~ I'm echoing your sentiment. And you're absolutely right about HuffPo & Tony Snow's death...And THOSE are the same people who are fussing @ the rest of us for 'cheering' our relief the a monster like OBL no longer breathes. Oh, & I read a comment on a professional blog (can't remember which) the other day...the Leftist who disagreed w/ a Right-leaning commenter stated this, "Now, there's somebody who deserves a good case of bone cancer..." The things people say...makes me furious if I think about the stupidity of it...
Duta~ "The muslims of the world are in a state of shock now caused by the fact that their own brother Obama is acting against them to score political points towards 2012elections." Dear lady, I was thinking the same thing...
Hi Jim~ Been missin' you! You must admit...the Bush Admin. guys are now UNDER INVESTIGATION (holy MACKEREL!!!) by the "beautiful souls" for their roles in those events. Sheesh!!
Duta~ Sweetheart, you sure don't have an optimistic soul, do you? :) I sure hope you're wrong when you say it's too late for the US to clean up our internal mess. And I don't like BHO's intervening in other countries' affairs anymore than I like his intervening in ours.
Pam! So good to see you! Yes, I remember your story. You're still writing, I hope...Very thankful that there are parents like you out there who ARE teaching their kids these things. And it IS up to us -- the schools (even though mine are in pub. schl) are too focused on social engineering & political correctness to get the story straight...That's what's sad, also.
BPB! I'm so glad you came back & told me about your comment gone missing. I wouldn't have picked up on it for some time -- been busy w/ a lot of other 'stuff' besides blogging lately. It is, indeed, good to be back in touch w/ you!
(I like Cain, too!)
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