Bin Laden -- anyone else watching this?

[HouseofWool]

I agree that in the short term, there will be an increase in violence. However, my gut feeling is that he was the figurehead holding together a lot of zealots and now they will splinter into a variety of factions which should be easier to contain.

I think they have DNA samples from other family members to compare.

I don't discount the jubilation of others, I just can't muster it myself. I'm fundamentally unable to celebrate anyone's death, no matter how much they may have deserved or sought that end.

This.

"I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure."
— Mark Twain

[GrayMatterWife]

Not me! I wished him dead and am over the moon that our seals took him out. Everyone here at the courthouse is really overjoyed and excited. Best day in nine years, seven months and three weeks. May he burn in hell for all eternity.

[MarissaNicole]

My initial response was disbelief/doubt as to it really being HIM. Anyone else?

[scrub-jay]

While I have a difficult time celebrating anyone's death (warranted or not), I'm glad and thankful that an immense evil has left this world and that the loved ones of the thousands of innocent lives taken by this man may feel some small semblance of closure. I wish them peace.

This.

[corn poffi]

I had no doubt it was him, just because I really didn't think that the White House would announce something so monumental without absolute proof. If some random news channel suddenly started reporting it without the announcement from the White House, I would have been more skeptical.

Anyway, I'm in the same boat at diggitydot, Crystal, etc. No matter how evil somebody is, I have a hard time celebrating death.

[TigerLily]

I'm so glad there are other people on here who don't feel like celebrating. I don't know exactly how I feel yet. But I don't feel right celebrating. It can't change what happened, and it won't necessarily make anything better.

[madeintaiwan]

I'm so glad there are other people on here who don't feel like celebrating. I don't know exactly how I feel yet. But I don't feel right celebrating. It can't change what happened, and it won't necessarily make anything better.

This. And I don't know how to feel. Does this change anything? All of those lives that were lost, does his death suddenly make it all better? Does revenge give us peace? Or are we calling this justice? And, justice gives us peace? Is the world suddenly sunshine and rainbows? It's not over. It's not like Hiroshima/Nagasaki in that we went into their country and planted hundreds of bases, basically taking over their country ensuring that the chances of another attack from Japan was slim to none. His followers with his mission are still out there.

[Meenah]

I have a hard time thinking of him as anything but pure evil. I would put him in the same category as Hitler.

[v-girl]

As I posted on fb, the thought of rejoicing/celebrating the death of another human being, no matter how evil, makes me ill. It just goes against everything I have been taught as a Christian. I know I'm not alone in the feeling.

[Vanquisher]

I'm so glad there are other people on here who don't feel like celebrating. I don't know exactly how I feel yet. But I don't feel right celebrating. It can't change what happened, and it won't necessarily make anything better.

This. And I don't know how to feel. Does this change anything? All of those lives that were lost, does his death suddenly make it all better? Does revenge give us peace? Or are we calling this justice? And, justice gives us peace? Is the world suddenly sunshine and rainbows? It's not over.

That's how I feel too.

[Momo]

I am glad this chapter is over.

[moonlight]

I also think he was our generation's Hitler. He overstayed his time in this world and I don't want to even think about the kind of hell he is in now. Good riddance!

[Pollyanna]

I think this sums it up nicely:

"Faced with the death of a man, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibility of everyone before God and man, and hopes and pledges that every event is not an opportunity for a further growth of hatred, but of peace.” -The Vatican's Statement on Bin Laden's death

[DCJenn]

I'm far more interested in the 'hows' of this - and what little they're releasing about how it was done has made for some fascinating reading. Maybe it's the NSA connection, I don't know.

As for the man himself- I think symbolically it's important for the troops and our intelligence community. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out in Pakistan in terms of their politics. and apparently the compound was in an area that was essentially Pakistan's West Point. Hmmmmm.

Jenn