It's been nearly ten years since the attack on our nation that shook it to its very core, the unwarranted murder of thousands of American citizens. Ten long years, during which America forgot. America forgot. For weeks after 9/11, all you could see were American flags. Ad campaigns flooded television, "We will never forget." We stood up as a nation for the first time since World War II. We screamed our defiance for all to hear. The world power that had for so long lain dormant lumbered to its feet and stood tall, swearing revenge.
Until yesterday, we had forgotten this.
Now, our President holds his trophy aloft for the nation to gawk at. "Look," he says. "Look at what we have accomplished!" And the country looks, and the country sees, and the country shouts and cheers and stomps its feet. And yet, there is something there that gives us pause. Indeed, rumors had flown for years about whether or not Bin Laden was even alive. Multiple reports claimed he was dying, slowly but surely, of some terminal disease.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm glad that bastard is dead. But there is more at work here than we yet realize. Bin Laden was old, he was dying, he was retired. So yes, we killed the man who orchestrated 9/11. Justice has, in a sense, been served. But our work is not done. No, our work is far from done. Bin Laden has long since been replaced. All we've done is take out the bogeyman, the figurehead, the physical manifestation of America's hatred of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. His work will continue, and attacks of terrorism will not stop because of his death.
Be proud to be an American. But also remember just what that entails.
