Death Dissonance

Last week at work, some of my co-workers were discussing what an amazing year it has been for news.  Not just news, but huge news.  From a congresswoman getting shot in Arizona to historic, deadly storms ripping through the south.  Recently, there's also been huge news skewing toward the positive.  For those of us in the industry who have to listen to constant buffets against the media, we are well aware that “good news” is hard to find.  

We find ourselves in the midst of interesting, changing times.  Times when masses rise up against oppressive leaders in North Africa and the Middle East.  Times when a pope (like him and the church or not) is on the fast track to become a saint.  Times when fervor over a royal wedding, no matter how ridiculous it may seem to some of us, produces fantasies of being a princess in women of all ages.  And a time when the most wanted man in America, and possibly around the world, can no longer terrorize innocents.

That being said, I’m torn on Osama bin Laden’s death.   At first, that may seem like a shocking statement.  But think about how morbid it is to celebrate a person’s death.  In no way, shape or form do I condone, advocate or agree with a single thing he did or stood for.  But traditionally, I also do not condone or agree with “eye for an eye” type of justice.  I’m anti-war, anti-death penalty and basically anti-murder.  

Initially, I had wanted to avoid getting political in my blog, as I get enough of that in everyday life in DC.  But the cognitive dissonance is making my brain buzz.  This man not only orchestrated the 9/11 attacks on innocent American people, but also previous deadly strikes.  The suffering at his hands is immense, even if not directly.  Osama could be likened to Charles Manson in that both are abhorrent figures blamed for murders, yet are figureheads for certain ideologies as opposed to executors of the details of said ideologies.  Cowardly? Yes.  But still powerful nonetheless.  We loathe them for their brainwashing of those vulnerable enough to be influenced.  (Please note I am not definitively saying these men never, ever killed a person.  I am just saying evidence lacks for death at their hands, yet they’re known for their masterminding of evil plots.)

It’s easy to get caught up in the moment of such events and to experience an outpouring of emotions.  As we’ve all undoubtedly seen on TV by now, thousands of people headed to the White House to cheer and chant.  While the original sentiment may be noble, it quickly devolved into a gross display of mob mentality.  “It’s awesome, finally the guy’s dead!”  one girl yelled into the reporter's microphone.  “We got ‘em, we got ‘em!” screamed others.  “You don’t mess with America, man,” another so eloquently expressed.

You may have guessed by now that the average age of many of these people dancing in the streets in the early morning hours was around 20.  Do these youngsters even understand the gravity of this situation?  Maybe.  But let’s remember that they were around 10 when the biggest Osama bin Laden event—9/11—took place.   In speaking with one of our interns recently about that day nearly 10 years ago, she said she remembered it being a big deal, but at that age it was tough to understand the complexity of the offense.   Today, she has a better understanding, but admits she may never fully share the disgust and horror to the same degree that older generations do.  For this reason, among others, it bothers me to watch drunk and/or giddy masses of America’s youth coming out on a Sunday night to make fools of themselves on TV by dancing provocatively on people’s shoulders and screaming “WOOOO” or “party time” into any microphone shoved in their faces.  You know I love a good party as much as the next person.  But this is a raucous celebration I think I’ll sit out.  

Take, for example, the account by a reporter for Washingtonian magazine: "'It honestly felt like a gigantic frat party,' says Yospyn, noting the the large number of college students, cans of beer in hand, who appeared to make up the bulk of the crowd."  Really?  One of the most influential moments in American history in the past decade, and young people decide the way to celebrate is by foolishly screaming and bringing cheap beer to the White House lawn?  Not to mention making pleas into the TV cameras to have their college finals postponed the next day.  I have to say, I'm embarrassed for them, and I am embarrassed that this is the representation of America that other countries saw.

True, I made a snarky comment on Facebook about celebrating with freedom fries, shots of alcohol and 72 virgins for all.  I also tried bringing levity to the heavy situation by posting the following silly picture:

But I think my FB friends can identify my foolishness and realize the difference between that and mindlessly waving arms and cheering in public to get the attention of a television crew in front of the White House.

Photo courtesy of ARLnow.com

 In contrast to the ridiculous scene in front of the White House, take a look at this picture of the scene at the Pentagon Memorial last night.  A couple dozen visitors stopped by to mark the true significance of last night's events.  We can never get back these lost souls, but the least we can do is honor them in a respectful manner instead of at a beer-guzzling brouhaha.

Those old enough to remember the sinking feeling in the pits of our stomachs and the paralyzing fear of “Where next”, “How many more attacks” and "Was my loved one there" appear to embrace the more sedate manner of “celebrating.”  Watching those aged 30+ scattered in the White House crowd mirrors the sentiment of many of my friends and family members—that of quiet remembrance.  We mourn the lives lost, proudly remember those involved in keeping America safe on domestic and foreign fronts, and rue that day in 2001 that forever changed how we live. 

But the unfortunate reality is this is largely a symbolic death.  Killing Osama bin Laden does not end terrorism.  It does not end all future senseless attacks on innocents.  In fact, Americans are now under a worldwide travel alert for fear of attacks by bin Laden’s followers.  He had spent nearly a lifetime laying the groundwork for a widespread terror network, and his disturbingly large contingent is still alive and well.  One might even debate how much influence he still held in the actual dealings of the network, considering how many henchmen we hear about carrying out their own attacks in the name of al Qaeda.  

Terrorism is an act of hate, and I’m not convinced that killing a terrorist is anything more than a simple retaliatory action which breeds more hate.  It may temporarily make us feel avenged and more powerful following years of insecurity and uncertainty.  However, such a string of killings theoretically could go on forever.  Where does it end?

I understand the significance of this event.  I do think it will boost our country’s sagging morale.  I commend the thousands of men and women who contributed to finding the world's most dangerous man.  It will likely help our safety and security in the long run.  But I do not think we have instantaneously achieved peace.  I question if it would have been possible to capture bin Laden and bring him to justice.  In the end, I believe death begets death.

With that, I shall leave you with a quote from Mark Twain that seems most relevant right now, as it reflects my internal conflict: "I've never wished a man dead, but I've read some obituaries with great pleasure."