I wasn't in Washington D.C. but I have heard from some that it was "an uproar." I know in Boston I could hear fireworks and there were certainly many who found the death of bin Laden worth celebrating. But what implications, especially on the world stage, will this celebrating have? Does it make us appear as bloodthirsty as Al Quaeda itself, celebrating the death of another man? It certainly will not depict us in a positive light to Islamic states that may or may not have their minds made up how they feel about bin Laden's death to begin with. Citizens of Jordan, Gaza, and Syria report much confusion after the 9/11 attacks on how to feel: was this a great thing or a terrible horror?
Seeing Americans celebrate Osama's death has been seen by many as a disgrace and an insult to Islam. With Facebook these days connecting communities internationally, the views of the "every-day American" can be seen visibly to other citizens from the Middle East to Japan. Students setting inappropriately celebratory Facebook statuses (and often crude and disgusting ones) both shock and outrage these non-Americans. Did Obama wish to make this something worth celebrating or did he predict that this attitude would be perceived negatively by the international community? The former appears likely, especially with his delay of announcement until late Sunday night (unlike Bush strategically placing his announcements at prime-time). Or is this giving too much credit to Obama?
Justin Daniels
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