Our Reactions, Our Selves

Just because something is true doesn't mean that it should necessarily be said out loud.  I am a very honest and outspoken person, and so I struggle daily with how to monitor the way my thoughts and feelings are transformed into words and actions.  On this day when so many Americans are feeling the pride of our country and it's success in bringing down an evil leader, I'm saddened to say that most of what I feel is shame.  I'm ashamed of the people who, in traditional and social media, behave as if the work of our military and the fight against hatred is somehow akin to the narrative of a video game or television show, and that Manichaeism adequately describes the way the world works.  I'm ashamed of the people who, instead of going to work or simply waving a flag, ran around Times Square completely intoxicated at eight o'clock in the morning.  There are better things in life to celebrate.

I'm not saying that Osama Bin Laden deserves our respect or sympathy, and I'm not saying that he deserved to live; I don't presume to take on the role of jury, judge, or God.  But I do think that this day should be about remembering those we lost on September 11 and honoring those who have kept us safe since, not about a "we won, they lost, yippee" mentality.  It is so not that simple.  There are a lot of strong emotions associated with 9/11 and with Bin Laden, and I completely understand that; I'm a New Yorker.  My father and many friends' fathers and mothers were pretty much right around the block from the towers that day and I remember the panic that rippled through the tri-state when the planes hit.  I still get chills when I see the skyline in old episodes of Friends or in movies.  I get it, the death of the mastermind is cathartic.

The problem arises when it becomes common place to publicly celebrate death and violence.  I feel like I'm inside the Roman Collesium, desperately trying to get out before I have to witness not just the death of a gladiator, but the abhorrence of our species in the enraged audience.  Obviously that metaphor is exaggerated for effect.  We are talking about the death of a horrible man here who has caused us a great deal of pain, and our emotional responses run the gamut.  But when we react publicly, can we do so with a little more civility?  Can we hold back from literally cheering, thereby avoiding looking like a bunch of monkeys, and instead simply say thank you to our troops?  And for pete's sake, can we abstain from using this moment to justify our political views or continue to harp on the failures of our political opponents?  I am so sick of reading about how George Bush brought about this moment from conservatives, or about how badly he screwed it up from liberals.  He hasn't been president for a while now, can we just move on?  (I failed here; on twitter this morning I wrote that if this doesn't get Obama reelected then I'm not sure what will - just because something is true doesn't mean it should necessarily be said.)

When I see news clips of the masses celebrating in New York and elsewhere, I feel quite troubled.  These sorts of celebrations should be reserved for World Series parades or Royal weddings or the advent of a new and more just regime.  The media would have us think that the latter is precisely what this is, but I can't help but be reminded: we haven't won.  It isn't over and the death of one man who's been in isolation for years doesn't exactly put my mind at ease.  The families of those killed on 9/11 are not going to now magically go back to their lives as if everything is ok.  It wasn't ok yesterday, it isn't ok today, and it won't be ok tomorrow, no matter who we kill.  If the death of Osama Bin Laden spells out some justice for people, fine, but the overt celebration of death and killing as if we are watching 24 or cheering on a sports team is highly unnerving and disturbing.  Have you ever seen two dogs get into a fight at the park?  Any dog that's around, unless stable and well-mannered (like mine), will want to get in on the action.  Other dogs start randomly biting those around them or growling at nothing.  When we shout hooray that someone's been killed, it only serves to incite more violence.  Our media and our citizenry should be reflecting on how we can create peace amongst cultures and dampen extremism on all fronts.   What separates humans from other animals is our ability to reason, and when we cheer for death the same way we cheer for the Giants, we're basically throwing all reason to the wind.