(no subject)
May. 2nd, 2011 01:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
why_me_why_notWow. I feel like this occasion deserves some sort of record, so an LJ post it is!
OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD!
While this is worthy of news and celebration of sorts, I have a lot of conflicting emotions surrounding the entire thing. Not about his death, necessarily, but about the reactions to it. (NOTE: these are my not-always-coherent opinions, and this is my LJ so I can say them if I want. I respect that everyone has different opinions, so I ask that you respect mine. I shouldn't have to put a disclaimer on a post, but this seems to be a volatile subject, so I am.)
I'm bothered by the number of people who seem, in all seriousness, to think that Bin Laden's death means the war on terror is over and that the US Military troops will be coming home. Bin Laden was not singularly responsible for all acts of terrorism. He was a leader of a terrorist group, but he did not act alone. He has followers and supporters and coterrorists, for lack of a better word. They aren't going to all turn away peacefully and be like, "Oh, Bin Laden's dead, we'll just go back to our regularly scheduled lives." There will still be terrorism. There will likely be retaliation, or attempts at retaliation. Even with heightened security at US Military bases around the world, there are likely to be serious repercussions from Bin Laden's death, and if Al-Qaeda members are not able to attack the US directly, they can and probably will go after US sympathizers in the Middle East. There are going to be plenty of rough times ahead. I'm trying to be realistic about this, but I feel like that means leaning more toward the pessamistic views. Our troops need our prayers and support more now than ever. I'm worried about what might happen in the next several days.
At the same time, celebration is good. I think it's good for morale and patriotism for all Americans, but am bothered by the displays. The war on terror is not over. We didn't win anything but the death of one man who was the figurehead for terrorism and a few of his followers. I hope that those who have lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks, or in any other Al-Qaeda related acts of terrorism, or the families of our fallen heroes, can feel some type of closure from Bin Laden's death. It's symbolic of a lot of things. Former military members who are out celebrating by having drinks with their military families, doing shots in honor of friends they've lost - I am totally behind that. I'd buy them all a round if I could. Same for the rescuers who were at Ground Zero, or the Pentagon, or that field in Pennsylvania - I hope they feel a sense of justice in all this. But partying on the White House lawn like Obama just single handedly won the World Series? Popping champagne on the streets of LA? I don't understand that.
And I may have been in fandom too long, or seen too many movies, or have a poor opinion of the world and the people in it, but I can also see a fresh round of trouble coming from within. Someone has a little too much to drink while celebrating and decides the way to keep up the party is to terrorize the Muslim family that lives down the street from them. Even though President Obama specifically said we aren't fighting a war against Islam, there are and will always be irrational prejudice in this world, and in this country.
From my facebook: A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR MILITARY, who have sacrificed, died, suffered, and worked hard, to fight people like Osama Bin Laden. YOU are the ones we thank. YOU are the ones who deserve ALL CREDIT. Thank a soldier for bringing due justice for those lost on 9/11 and all the victims around the world who suffered from his commands. Copy and paste if you agree.... and Please pray for our troops. We know that there are those who will/may retaliate for what has happened. Lord, I pray your protection for our men and women in uniform who may be in harms way. Please send your angels to surround each and every one of them against any harm. Keep them safe, Lord, and bring them home soon. In Jesus precious name, Amen!
As for the joking surrounding the situation. I've seen all the Harry Potter stuff (oh, fandom, you are so ridiculous sometimes), and jokes about Chuck Norris, and jokes about someone's peekapoo being missing for a few hours this morning and coming back with an American flag and a gun (idek), and various people joking about who or what killed Osama, and ten million jokes about Obama intentionally cutting off the end of the Apprentice and/or Donald Trump wanting to see Osama's long-form death certificate, and several people talking about how pissed Osama's gonna be that there's no virgins waiting for him in the hereafter, and a bunch of other shit. There was also a bunch of joking go on during the wait for the actual announcement, before the leaks of information started trickling down via various social networks, speculation about what the announcement was. I'm guilty of that - my brother and I were both thinking that it was going to be an announcement about a meteor headed toward earth or something. (My mom thought it was going to be some huge, globally catastrophic weather related thing - can you tell we watch a lot of SyFy here?) But for most people, joking is a way to relieve the tension, to keep from feeling so anxious, or the mechanism we turn to when we're not sure how to express ourselves. This is the way we cope. I understand that people are offended by this joking, but most of it is not meant with bad intent. I did lol at the idea that this is the anniversary of the Final Battle at Hogwarts, and the hope that Bin Laden didn't make any horcruxes, but that was just randomness on my twitter feed. Apparently there's a significant issue about this on Tumblr. I have a tumblr, but I don't really check it often. Saying Harry Potter or the Winchesters or Brad Colbert or Chuck Norris [insert fandom reference of your choice] killed Bin Laden, even jokingly, feels like disrespect to the Navy SEALS and the Pakistani allies and whoever else was actually involved in the firefight. It's a lot different in my mind to comparing the date of this event to the Final Battle. Yes, fandom is crazy, and the wizarding world is fictional, but the emotions behind the event for those involved in fandom are real. The jokes about Bin Laden burning in hell and missing out on his reward of virgins and all that is disrespectful to humanity and to religion. Did you know there's already a twitter for his ghost? I think the point I'm trying to make here, is that some of the joking is just a coping mechanism and not meant to be offensive, but a lot of it is just wrong.
My other big issue with the reaction to Bin Laden's death is the political implications. I'll be the first person to admit that I don't stay on top of politics. I'm lucky to stay on top of what goes on in my own hometown. But I still know a little bit, even if it is slightly skewed knowledge. First, Obama does not get the credit for Bin Laden's death. That credit goes to our military and to our Allies. Secondly, anyone who thinks this won't be a factor in next Presidential election is wrong. And to all the people who were speculating (as details began to appear) that the government had Bin Laden's body for a while but was releasing this information now for political impact - well, I honestly wouldn't be surprised by that theory. But what I was surprised by was the the large number of people who responded to that speculation with the argument that if this was a political play, if it was Obama trying to assert a win for the 2012 Presidential campaign, that the government would have waited and kept this news hidden until next year. First off, if Bin Laden is dead and the Al-Qaeda attacks in retribution, how would they explain that? Secondly, this time next year we're going to be in primaries. I know that Obama is pretty much already confirmed as the 2012 Democratic candidate, but anything can happen. This year is the fight for candidacy, which can be a pretty big deal. Besides, do you think that Americans will forget by next year that Bin Laden is dead? Either way, Obama didn't kill him, so it should matter, but the fact that he was killed during Obama's administration will influence things.
Ugh, I'm having really hard time with my words. I'm going to wrap this up by saying that I hope that each and everyone one of you is reminded today that life is precious. This is the death of one man, but he has been the leading face for terrorism for decades, so his death brings up memories of thousands and thousands of others. Tell your loved ones that you love them. Say a prayer for our military and their families. If you see someone in uniform, tell them thank you. Be extra vigilant during the time of heightened terror alerts. Look out for others. I started to say "Look out for your fellow Americans", but it's more than that - we are a world-wide community despite the language barriers and the oceans keeping us apart and the different nationalities - look out for EVERYONE.
Be safe and God Bless. I love you. <3
*GROUP HUG*
OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD!
While this is worthy of news and celebration of sorts, I have a lot of conflicting emotions surrounding the entire thing. Not about his death, necessarily, but about the reactions to it. (NOTE: these are my not-always-coherent opinions, and this is my LJ so I can say them if I want. I respect that everyone has different opinions, so I ask that you respect mine. I shouldn't have to put a disclaimer on a post, but this seems to be a volatile subject, so I am.)
I'm bothered by the number of people who seem, in all seriousness, to think that Bin Laden's death means the war on terror is over and that the US Military troops will be coming home. Bin Laden was not singularly responsible for all acts of terrorism. He was a leader of a terrorist group, but he did not act alone. He has followers and supporters and coterrorists, for lack of a better word. They aren't going to all turn away peacefully and be like, "Oh, Bin Laden's dead, we'll just go back to our regularly scheduled lives." There will still be terrorism. There will likely be retaliation, or attempts at retaliation. Even with heightened security at US Military bases around the world, there are likely to be serious repercussions from Bin Laden's death, and if Al-Qaeda members are not able to attack the US directly, they can and probably will go after US sympathizers in the Middle East. There are going to be plenty of rough times ahead. I'm trying to be realistic about this, but I feel like that means leaning more toward the pessamistic views. Our troops need our prayers and support more now than ever. I'm worried about what might happen in the next several days.
At the same time, celebration is good. I think it's good for morale and patriotism for all Americans, but am bothered by the displays. The war on terror is not over. We didn't win anything but the death of one man who was the figurehead for terrorism and a few of his followers. I hope that those who have lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks, or in any other Al-Qaeda related acts of terrorism, or the families of our fallen heroes, can feel some type of closure from Bin Laden's death. It's symbolic of a lot of things. Former military members who are out celebrating by having drinks with their military families, doing shots in honor of friends they've lost - I am totally behind that. I'd buy them all a round if I could. Same for the rescuers who were at Ground Zero, or the Pentagon, or that field in Pennsylvania - I hope they feel a sense of justice in all this. But partying on the White House lawn like Obama just single handedly won the World Series? Popping champagne on the streets of LA? I don't understand that.
And I may have been in fandom too long, or seen too many movies, or have a poor opinion of the world and the people in it, but I can also see a fresh round of trouble coming from within. Someone has a little too much to drink while celebrating and decides the way to keep up the party is to terrorize the Muslim family that lives down the street from them. Even though President Obama specifically said we aren't fighting a war against Islam, there are and will always be irrational prejudice in this world, and in this country.
From my facebook: A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR MILITARY, who have sacrificed, died, suffered, and worked hard, to fight people like Osama Bin Laden. YOU are the ones we thank. YOU are the ones who deserve ALL CREDIT. Thank a soldier for bringing due justice for those lost on 9/11 and all the victims around the world who suffered from his commands. Copy and paste if you agree.... and Please pray for our troops. We know that there are those who will/may retaliate for what has happened. Lord, I pray your protection for our men and women in uniform who may be in harms way. Please send your angels to surround each and every one of them against any harm. Keep them safe, Lord, and bring them home soon. In Jesus precious name, Amen!
As for the joking surrounding the situation. I've seen all the Harry Potter stuff (oh, fandom, you are so ridiculous sometimes), and jokes about Chuck Norris, and jokes about someone's peekapoo being missing for a few hours this morning and coming back with an American flag and a gun (idek), and various people joking about who or what killed Osama, and ten million jokes about Obama intentionally cutting off the end of the Apprentice and/or Donald Trump wanting to see Osama's long-form death certificate, and several people talking about how pissed Osama's gonna be that there's no virgins waiting for him in the hereafter, and a bunch of other shit. There was also a bunch of joking go on during the wait for the actual announcement, before the leaks of information started trickling down via various social networks, speculation about what the announcement was. I'm guilty of that - my brother and I were both thinking that it was going to be an announcement about a meteor headed toward earth or something. (My mom thought it was going to be some huge, globally catastrophic weather related thing - can you tell we watch a lot of SyFy here?) But for most people, joking is a way to relieve the tension, to keep from feeling so anxious, or the mechanism we turn to when we're not sure how to express ourselves. This is the way we cope. I understand that people are offended by this joking, but most of it is not meant with bad intent. I did lol at the idea that this is the anniversary of the Final Battle at Hogwarts, and the hope that Bin Laden didn't make any horcruxes, but that was just randomness on my twitter feed. Apparently there's a significant issue about this on Tumblr. I have a tumblr, but I don't really check it often. Saying Harry Potter or the Winchesters or Brad Colbert or Chuck Norris [insert fandom reference of your choice] killed Bin Laden, even jokingly, feels like disrespect to the Navy SEALS and the Pakistani allies and whoever else was actually involved in the firefight. It's a lot different in my mind to comparing the date of this event to the Final Battle. Yes, fandom is crazy, and the wizarding world is fictional, but the emotions behind the event for those involved in fandom are real. The jokes about Bin Laden burning in hell and missing out on his reward of virgins and all that is disrespectful to humanity and to religion. Did you know there's already a twitter for his ghost? I think the point I'm trying to make here, is that some of the joking is just a coping mechanism and not meant to be offensive, but a lot of it is just wrong.
My other big issue with the reaction to Bin Laden's death is the political implications. I'll be the first person to admit that I don't stay on top of politics. I'm lucky to stay on top of what goes on in my own hometown. But I still know a little bit, even if it is slightly skewed knowledge. First, Obama does not get the credit for Bin Laden's death. That credit goes to our military and to our Allies. Secondly, anyone who thinks this won't be a factor in next Presidential election is wrong. And to all the people who were speculating (as details began to appear) that the government had Bin Laden's body for a while but was releasing this information now for political impact - well, I honestly wouldn't be surprised by that theory. But what I was surprised by was the the large number of people who responded to that speculation with the argument that if this was a political play, if it was Obama trying to assert a win for the 2012 Presidential campaign, that the government would have waited and kept this news hidden until next year. First off, if Bin Laden is dead and the Al-Qaeda attacks in retribution, how would they explain that? Secondly, this time next year we're going to be in primaries. I know that Obama is pretty much already confirmed as the 2012 Democratic candidate, but anything can happen. This year is the fight for candidacy, which can be a pretty big deal. Besides, do you think that Americans will forget by next year that Bin Laden is dead? Either way, Obama didn't kill him, so it should matter, but the fact that he was killed during Obama's administration will influence things.
Ugh, I'm having really hard time with my words. I'm going to wrap this up by saying that I hope that each and everyone one of you is reminded today that life is precious. This is the death of one man, but he has been the leading face for terrorism for decades, so his death brings up memories of thousands and thousands of others. Tell your loved ones that you love them. Say a prayer for our military and their families. If you see someone in uniform, tell them thank you. Be extra vigilant during the time of heightened terror alerts. Look out for others. I started to say "Look out for your fellow Americans", but it's more than that - we are a world-wide community despite the language barriers and the oceans keeping us apart and the different nationalities - look out for EVERYONE.
Be safe and God Bless. I love you. <3
*GROUP HUG*
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no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 06:08 am (UTC)Thank you for their words, especially that last paragraph.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 06:19 am (UTC)Thank YOU! There are a lot of emotions flying around, and yeah, everyone does deal with things differently. I'm glad that the joking worked for diffusing the tension in your case, because I think that was most of the intent.
And yeah, it was kinda scary, waiting on that announcement. I didn't think about aliens though! (I was thinking about that scene in Deep Impact where the President makes the announcement about the comet heading toward Earth, b/c that was a middle-of-the-night announcement.) I'm kinda really glad that we have the internet to lean on at times like this, even though sometimes it feels like information overload.
<333333
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 06:27 am (UTC)Yeah, scary is the word for it. I mean...all of the possibilities floating through our minds about why on a Sunday night the President would be making an announcement was a lot to deal with for anyone who was aware of what was going on.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 03:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 07:12 pm (UTC)