Osama bin Laden is dead: The end of an era

Steffi: Justice has been served. After a 10 year battle of fighting and hunting, Osama bin Laden has at last suffered the ultimate consequence for his unforgettable terror plot committed on September 11, 2001. The sadness of the 10 year old question, “Where were you when you heard that two planes crashed into the World Trade Centre?” has transformed into the patriotic question, “Where were you when you found out Osama bin Laden had been killed?”

I was living in the United Kingdom  during 9/11 and still remember how my teachers, parents, and friends were all affected by the tragedy. I saw how 9/11 affected not only America, but the entire world. So now, the globe is dancing on bin Laden’s grave.

But do I think the credit equally goes to President Obama and former President Bush? Not exactly. President Bush began the war on terror by invading Afghanistan with the hope of capturing bin Laden. I do believe we should have exited as soon as we realized that bin Laden was not in Afghanistan, but Bush got distracted with an unproductive war in Iraq. Of course we cannot forget how he infamously said, “I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive,” while playing golf. He did start the search for bin Laden, but President Obama found and confirmed bin Laden’s location. President Obama planned the raid. President Obama gave the O.K. to the Navy Seals to take action, being sure as to avoid civilian casualties. President Obama brought justice to this country. Now that bin Laden is out of the picture, we have no reason to stay in Afghanistan. Obama finished the battle.

So while the world is celebrating the al Qaeda leader’s death, a new fear lingers. Is retaliation a possibility? I believe it’s possible that we could see a form of retaliation eventually, but not right now. Our national security is on high alert at the moment, so attacking would be an unwise decision since that’s exactly what we are expecting.

But the entire world is experiencing this together. Shortly after the long awaited news, President Obama told the nation,”On that day [9/11], no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.” Once again, we have united as one to celebrate this tremendous and historical accomplishment.

Audrey: May 2nd is a day that will live in infamy, not only for the Battle of Hogwarts back in 1998 (Yes I’m totally serious), but more importantly as the day Osama bin Laden was finally found and killed. It occurred in genuine summer blockbuster fashion, the United States Navy seals busting in on an elaborate mansion in Pakistan. They went room by room until they finally found bin Laden. They allegedly asked for his surrender, but after an unsurprising refusal, he was shot dead.

While I can’t say I’m thrilled to be so happy at the death of another human being, Osama bin Laden deserved everything he got. He not only destroyed buildings and lives, but he devastated our peace of mind, our hope, and our perception of the Islamic world. He is the reason the photograph of the Twin Towers in the Spanish textbook always leaves a rotten feeling in my stomach. In addition, it is because of a group of Muslim extremists your “average” Muslim must be stereotyped into the turban-clad and AK-47 wielding cliche. I believed Obama put it best when he said during his announcement broadcast, “We must also reaffirm that the United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam…Our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims.” Hopefully bin Laden’s death will not only encourage patriotism, but also begin a decline in America’s ignorant opinion of Islam.

The former is already very apparent. Obama’s announcement triggered a frenzy of impromptu celebrations, all in honor of our own country’s success and a massive step forward in bringing down terrorism. Jubilant crowds gathered outside the White House, waving flags, singing our national anthem, and chanting U.S.A. as if at a college pep rally. New York City firemen honored their brethren that perished in 9/11, while thousands of others gathered at Ground Zero to show respect and celebrate. I think it’s safe to say those in close proximity to NYC felt the news at the deepest level, many having somehow experienced the tragedy first hand.

We often comment nostalgically on where we were and what we were doing when catastrophe strikes. For some maybe it was Pearl Harbor, Kennedy’s assassination, or the Challenger’s failed lift off. For our generation and several others it was September 11, 2001 and the bombing of the Twin Towers. Well now we have a new event to remember and this time it’s a great achievement; the USA’s success in killing one of the most inhumane men in the world. And I was doing math homework.

Video by whitehouse