Although the death of Osama Bin Laden can be paramount to some relief or closure, the war on terror is far from over–mainly because terror is not as tangible as some may expect it to be. You cannot just kill one vessel of hatred and expect everything to be set. Killing Bin Laden is akin to cutting off the antlers of some species of deer. They will grow back and often at an alarming rate. Declaring a war on terror cemented the complicated culture of wartime ethics, fear tactics and aggressive patriotism that has created the kind of country we know of today.
People will always be inappropriate, and I’m not saying that this occasion is insignificant. On the contrary, it is an historical moment akin to 9/11. However, the decorum of some people during times like these can deter from what is truly important here. There is no need to celebrate this mastermind’s death. What there needs to be is a discussion about what to do next. There is nothing more annoying or embarrassing than the hubris of the American people. Not only do we yell and shout when we disagree with something, but we yell and shout when we do agree. It’s in bad taste and only furthers the stereotype of the dumb American more than the public drinking festivities.
This is a scary time for us not only as Americans but as citizens of the world. With this comes the invitation of more acts of terrorism; however, even if this is so, it will be part of the history of humanity. Yes, this was the person behind 9/11, but there have been other 9/11-like incidents and there might be in the future because of the common thread of hate which is nothing new. Perhaps it is just semantics, but the war on terror is nowhere near over. However, the War in Afghanistan and quite possibly Iraq may have finally come to a close with the death of the instigator who reignited military interest in this Second Gulf War.
As Americans, we should be proud of our armed forces and our government for having accomplished a task that many, including myself, had deemed impossible. However, this is no time for celebration. This is not a victory for us because there exists no end when combating something as conceptual terrorism. The idea that one can combat the idea of hatred toward America was always a flawed one and with that I remind all of us that we have already lost.