Living History

So, I just drove back up to Flagstaff and imagine my surprise when I called my mom to tell her I made it and she said, "Did you hear the news?" I'm thinking it's gonna be something related to Rob Pattinson or Justin Bieber. Nope. "What news?" "Osama bin Laden is dead."

...

Well, dang. That wasn't what I was expecting at all! At first I was like, Okay, whatever, I gotta carry all my stuff upstairs. But now that I've seen the news coverage, Obama's speech, and all the Tweets and Facebook statuses, it's starting to hit me. This is HUGE. Like, HISTORICAL. And I'm mostly just in shock.

I'm so happy for the people who lost family and friends on September 11, 2001. I'm happy that a terrible killer has been stopped. But at the same time I feel wrong rejoicing over the death of ANYBODY, even a known terrorist. I also recognize the necessity of apprehending a man like Osama bin Laden. Even if that means killing him.

My friend Sam said it best: I feel emotional. This is so intense.

I know this isn't the end of war. This isn't the end of terrorism. But this is a huge win for freedom and justice.

The news is showing footage of people at The White House and at Ground Zero singing patriotic songs. I'm crying. (Just a little.)

This is a historical night. I think many of us are reflecting on where we were almost ten years ago when 9/11 happened. It's strange to see this thing come full circle.

I just wanted to record some of my thoughts tonight. Thanks to the troops and the amazing heroes who've participated in this fight. My prayers are with them and their families.

-Allison