Reaction Time

After hearing the news, processing it, and writing a blog about it, my journalist instincts kicked in and I wanted to know what everyone else thought about it.  So, I asked.

One of my friends out on a COP said, “When we heard it was like thumbs up, okay back to work.”  Another had his Facebook status say, “So Osama’s gone, but we’re still here, go figure.”  Another soldier expressed his disdain that he has spent 4 years of his life deployed because of this guy, but will not see any proof of his death.  For the most part, everyone here is not reacting.  They’re all just going about their business, because there are still more evil men out there to fight against every day.

Then there are the millions of ridiculous Facebook statuses.  It befuddles me that Facebook is the avenue to have political debate.  If you really wanted to have an intelligent discussion of ideas, that’s what it needs to be, a discussion, not yelling on your wall and then what?  Refreshing your page every 10 minutes to see if anyone responded?  Maybe I’m the only one this annoys, and maybe honestly, I’m being a little hypocritical, after all I write a blog, but I at least try to be sensitive in my writing. 

We worry about the partisan divide in our Congress, well just look at it on an 18 year old’s Facebook walls.  On one point it does encourage me a little that people are getting involved in the debate and taking an interest in the leadership of our nation…but then I read the comments and realize they have no factual information and would rather just tear apart the intelligence and/or mother of the person they are responding to and that feeling of encouragement goes out the window.

It was really interesting to me that people found Bible passages to both support and admonish the celebration of an evil person’s death.

‎"Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles..." - Proverbs 24:17

When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy. - Proverbs 11:10

Same book , different chapters, different messages?  Religion confuses me sometimes.

Then there is the wise Dr. King:

‎"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

To one of my friend’s statuses that had this Dr. King quote someone had responded, "All it takes for evil to triumph, is for good men to stand by and do nothing." Edmund Burke

There’s just so much to take into consideration, should we feel happy at the death of a ruthless murderer, or sad at the loss of a human life no matter how evil it was? 

It’s hard to be sensible about this when everyday I meet troops who have been injured by the men Osama has trained or instructed to carry out his plans.  I’m still not sure if my feelings are taking the high road or just the easy road, but I think the quote that most sums up my feelings was posted on my coworker/roommate Erin’s facebook status…

‎"I've never wished a man dead, but I've read some obituaries with great pleasure." -Mark Twain.

*Disclaimer* I did not fact check to see if these quotes actually came from these authors; I trusted my Facebook sources, okay so maybe I don't have the greatest journalist instincts.