Bin Laden

Its late, my roommates have all gone to bed (much earlier than usual actually). But I feel that my world has changed once more, in a significant fashion. The terror of my youth has been removed as a threat.

I was late to a Sunday social. The spiritual thoughts had degenerated into a crowd of people playing games when one of my fellow singles ward associates received a text stating that Osama bin Laden had been killed and the President was about to speak. I immediately left and went for my laptop and browsed the internet posts. I soon discovered that I had missed the president’s message by 30 minutes (but the president had missed it too by an hour) so I still had time to knock on the doors of neighbors until I found a television. That one was crowded so I found another television where I interrupted a viewing of Special Witnesses of Christ and convinced them to plug in their cable so we could hear President Obama officially announce the death of the infamous terrorist.

Terrorist. As a child I learned early on to fear a group of robbers known as the Gadiantons. They were an evil group in the Book of Mormon who would organized their crimes in order to overthrow the government. I was taught that these robbers were like the Mafia. It seemed a fair comparison until a September morning when 13 year-old Riley was woken up and dragged upstairs to watch the second tower of the World Trade Center fall in a cloud of smoke and concrete. I learned very well that the Mafia were small and insignificant in comparison to terrorists. Osama was the face of the terrorist. The cartoons and playing cards, the slogans and songs. All were made up about him. He was the evil that wanted to destroy American. I watched my general conference get interrupted a month later when we began to drop bombs on Afghanistan.  That same conference Gordon B Hinckley announced the fulfillment of the prophesy concerning the moon turning to blood and the sun being darkened from the book of Joel.

I heard the news and read the papers of war spreading through Iraq, I set up flags to remember the lives lost in battle or in fiery falling office buildings. I walked passed the pictures of servicemen in the halls of my high school. I remember tenth grade when Saddam Hussein was captured and my history teacher pasted the newspaper clipping of his bearded face on the wall of our classroom and told us to remember. I read the papers as his trial stretched through the years and ended in his death. But Osama remained lost.

Now we have him. He has been removed from hurting us in the most complete way we know how. How am I suppose to react? My heart does not leap for joy but resigns itself that this is how it had to happen. An evil man had to be removed. As in everything America does I’m sure the critics will come (indeed, the announcement came within the last 3 hours and already the skeptics and critics have began their dastardly work, undermining patriotism and commitment to a cause.

The simple question is this: What does the death of Osama bin Laden mean?

Does it mean the price of justice concerning the victims of September 11th has been met? No. No sacrifice of man can pay that price.

Does it mean that America is safe from Terrorists? No, he was but one piece of many puzzles

Should we celebrate? I don’t think so

Was it right to end his life? Yes, those who live by the sword perish by it. It was justice. Some justice we should be grateful for but we still ought not to celebrate the unfortunate, but inevitable, consequences of the actions of the wicked.

So tonight, as I think of all the pain and sorrows in my own, young, life since that morning 10 years ago, my empathy returns for all those who lost someone to the violence of these years. From the 3000 Americans killed in terror, to the 6000 Americans killed in battle. It also includes the 70,000+, maybe much much higher, Iraqis and Afghans. I do not, and should not, rejoice in the death of my enemies. But I can rejoice in the freedom and the welfare of my country and my people.

I am sorry that blood had to be shed but this was a man who chose his own battles and chose to fight with us. I hope that we can now enter a more peaceful understanding world, though I recognize Osama is far from the end. For tonight I will remember the cost that was paid for this moment and weep that it ever became necessary.

As President Obama said, may God bless us all, and may God bless America.