Ding Ding The Monster's Dead!

The wicked monster's dead! But is the war on terrorism over? Absolutely NOT.

It should be noted that terrorism in the form of Islamo-facism did not start 10 years ago with the attacks on the Towers and it will not end with the demise of its mastermind. He has become, in recent years, merely a figurehead to their cause. The strife in the middle east is thousands of years old and will continue throughout our lifetime. It was there before any of us were born and it will still be there long after our deaths. What we have seen is merely another horrid chapter come to a close.

However, despite this rather gloomy reality, bin-Laden’s death is cause for great celebration. It represents a huge victory for justice as well as closure for the families of the victims of 9/11 and the men and women who sought him out for the past decade. It is a victory for civilization over the forces of barbarism in the modern world. And it is no less a victory for the Muslim world as a whole. Bin Laden has preyed on them as well. The Muslim world suffered tremendously from terrorism, and in all too many cases, far more, at the hands of his terrorists’ than did many other peoples of this world. Up to and including the Towers tragedy, in which it was speculated 1200 Muslims died as well. There is no way of having exact numbers because sadly there are still bone fragments that haven't been identified.

Yet we mistakenly blame Muslims as a whole for what radical fascists do in the name of Allah. We haven't seemed to learn that to stop hatred, someone has to lead by example. I wonder sometimes, did Timothy McVeigh pray to his god before engaging his bombs in Oklahoma? Did Reverend Jim Jones get to his knees and pray for guidance before setting out his instructions to his followers? If so, should we not be fearful of all Christians as well? And yes, there are those who actually enjoy hating, those who shock me with their hatred, feeling easy and righteous about it, but that's something for another blog on another day.

The argument of course, is that these Christian men I've cited were sick minds. Like bin Laden I presume?

Bin Laden repeatedly used Islamic texts taken out of context and twisted to exhort violent action from an ignorant and hate-filled following of terrorists. Usually, very young radicals wanting to break away from the rigid confines of their religion and who were easily convinced the US was an evil empire of infidels. This was how his operations started and grew to wreak havoc against American military as well as our citizenry. It is for this reason we celebrate the death of Bin-Laden in the same way that those of an earlier generation celebrated the death of Adolf Hitler and for many of the same reasons.

There are concerns that bin-Laden’s death will spur new and more violent acts of terrorism. That his death will cause greater hatred among his followers. I am not convinced that bin Laden’s death will somehow give these people super powers to accomplish what they’ve failed at over and over again in the last ten years - to repeat the heinous crime of 9/11…but they may well try. Frankly, I don’t see how those who hate us enough to murder thousands of innocent people from all over the world, can possibly hate us any more than they already do, but again, I don't think they have the capacity to stop how they feel, it is so engrained.

We think of the Americans lost in the New York City tragedy, the act that left a crater in the middle of our largest most populated city, but it wasn't just Americans lost that day. While it happened on our soil, 91 other countries lost people that day. Including the Muslim world. Terrorism isn't discriminatory.

I salute all our men & women in uniform for this great victory. I salute them all. It may well be that the actual credit for this go to the few who were actually there & carried out the mission, but it was the efforts of all of them, from the private killed in Iraq to the Sergeant wounded in Afghanistan, that eventually brought this about.

Yup, right up to the President, who at great political risk to himself said, "You think you have him? Okay, DO IT!"