The 9/11 Generation

I saw this article today and thought it was interesting take on the crowds of college students that took to the streets following the news bin Laden had been killed:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/05/04/bin.laden.911.generation.react/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1

Video of celebration at Penn State:

It didn't occur to me that it had a different significance to our generation than others; I just thought it was a typical college/young person thing to do. They're still awake late and night and always looking for an excuse to party so why not after the announcement? Yet this article points out that it's more than that to those who were just kids on 9/11. We've grown into adulthood in a post-9/11 world, where for nearly half of our lives, the arch nemesis of America has eluded our military and tight airport security has been the norm.

I heard a story of a friend's grandma who refused to fly because she would be forced to take off her shoes. This seemed a little absurd to me at first blush, simply because that's the way flying has been for the last 10 years of my life. I've (unfortunately) grown accustom to the pat downs, the color coded alerts, the shoes through the x-ray machine, the strict list of items you can carry on. We've come to accept all of this as "that's just the way it is" and that the measures are a necessary evil for our "safety." (The effectiveness of it all is another story though...and don't even get me started on the full-body scanners...ugh.) But for those who were adults when all the security measures came to be, I can see how they'd have a different perspective and feel like their privacy is being invaded. We haven't grown up with that sense of deserved privacy.

Terrorism has been in the back our generation's mind, a constant threat hovering over our heads for so long that it's difficult to remember what life was like when we weren't at war, when we didn't know the name Osama bin Laden, how to pronounce al-Qaeda, or where Baghdad was. How does this effect our collective psyche? According the the article, experts who have studied our generation say as a result, we're "more patriotic, more politically aware, more socially conscious and more plugged in than previous generations." I don't know about you, but I haven't observed that. Particularly the claim that we're more politically aware. Perhaps, compared to our parents' generation...but that's not something I've seen in the majority of my peer group.

However, I was glad to see that many of the students interviewed expressed the same sentiment as I did in my last post...that the death of anyone is not something to celebrate, and that it does not, by any means, mean the end of terrorism. Judging solely from the tone of the Facebook statuses following the news, I thought I was alone there...

Thoughts on reactions to bin Laden's death

A little over 24 hours ago, my roommate and I heard a "WOOO!" from friend who was watching tv downstairs. "Oh, he's probably watching the game," I said. Then I heard him yell, "We got Osama bin Laden!"

And so began a media frenzy that is still going strong . My Facebook newsfeed was clogged with praise for the military and celebrating bin Laden's death, and the news showed footage of masses of people in the streets and in front of the White House chanting, "USA! USA!"

I feel somewhat unpatriotic writing this, but I have mixed feelings on reactions I've seen. First of all...we're celebrating the fact that a person has died. One newspaper headline read, "ROT IN HELL." I fully understand that he was the leader of al Queda, the mastermind behind September 11th and other terrorist attacks, and symbol of hatred of America. But the crowds of people chanting in the streets reminded me of how some in the Middle East reacted to the news that thousands of Americans had been killed on 9/11. (I realize this isn't a perfect analogy by any means...the death of one man is no where NEAR on par with the mass murder of thousands of innocent men, women and children.) Is celebrating death, of any sort, who we are as a country? A nation largely made up of Christians, no less?

Since others can say it much more eloquently than I, here are some quotes I thought expressed what I'm thinking well:

Statement from the Vatican this morning:

"Osama bin Laden, as we all know, bore the most serious responsibility for spreading divisions and hatred among populations, causing the deaths of innumerable people, and manipulating religions to this end,” said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, who released a brief written statement reacting to the news.

“In the face of a man’s death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth of peace and not of hatred."

Statement from Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA):

"The death of Osama bin Laden is an occasion for solemn remembrance. We remember the lives of all whose deaths resulted from his choosing hatred and violence. We stand with those who continue to mourn the death of loved ones while giving thanks for their lives, their love and their faith. We also continue to hold in prayer all whose service in the military, in government and in humanitarian and peacemaking activities contribute to a safer and more prosperous world."

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but 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.

On another note, on CNN they showed an old video of the first plane flying through the first tower flashed across the screen, juxtaposed to Osama's face while the newscaster said, "The man who did this is dead." Well...not exactly. I think it's dangerous to give any one person so much power and credit - it distracts from others who were also involved and still actively plotting attacks. Killing him does nothing to stop the War on Terror, and anyone who thinks so is naive. However, I do think destroying a symbol such as bin Laden is a powerful thing - particularly to the families of those who lost someone on 9/11. I'm very curious what their reactions were to the news. Relief, closure?

Also - why exactly is everyone giving Obama so much credit for this? I don't get it...

Okay, it's late and in my new effort to become a morning person, I'm ending this here...more later.