My wise beyond his years brother (self described as a person with a sixty year old man and seven year old boy fighting for dominance within him) said of Osama Bin Laden's Death:
"Perhaps we should stop celebrating a man's death and mourn the fact that there was a human being that led a life that inspired people to feel good when that life ended."
This was my original reasoning. I don’t claim to be a philosopher or even an aphorism giver; but can I celebrate death when I find life to be kind of a big deal? I was so saddened at a world in celebration for the death of anyone. All I could think about was other people in my life that hadn’t lived the best life either. Don’t they deserve my compassion and pity? Granted, Osama was an extreme case, but it didn’t feel right to celebrate his passing.
But what about my duty to my country? Here was a great enemy of this nation and I just feel sad over such a despicable life? Does that render me unpatriotic?
My brother further went on to say:
"Just watching the celebration in front of the White House makes me feel ashamed. We are celebrating death. If this is what patriotism is, I want absolutely nothing to do with it."
I don’t know if I would go that far. Patriotism as a concept is something that I value greatly. I don’t think patriotism revels in death and succumbs to a mob mentality. I think that patriotism is something that unifies without destroying. It’s an ideal that we strive for. But here’s the catch: I haven’t said the Pledge of Allegiance in over three years. I have not uttered this idealistic affirmation. Does my version of patriotism fit into yours? Am I hypocrite and an ungrateful citizen? Is my fear of blind patriotism so great that it’s limiting my civic duty?
Then, his friend retaliated with:
"Why would we not celebrate the death of a man who was directly and indirectly responsible for the death of untold hundreds if not thousands?
If you're worried that the American populace's priorities are out of whack there are millions or things more worrisome than a celebration over what many would call an evil man's death.
MTV, a high fat diet, conspiracy theorists, American selfishness, the failure of public education and the general ignorance of the average American and you wait until now to feel ashamed?
Be ashamed, but don't point to this and this alone to declare a lack of American morals when there are so many other legitimate points to make."
With that in mind, I cannot say that I will actively rail against other opinions which celebrate this death. I will not be proud, I will not cheer, but I will not be a hypocrite. One evil is gone, but others still remain. Some lesser, some arguably greater. I will practice my patriotism with my eyes open but I will not go with the flow simply to fit into an ideal. I may start saying the Pledge of Allegiance again, but only if I can fully understand it and reconcile it within my beliefs. I pledge allegiance, but as an individual with a choice and a voice.
