Don't Tell Me How to Feel

Sunday night was surreal. I received a "Breaking News" email update on my phone that said President Obama would be announcing the death of Osama bid Laden after a decade-long man-hunt. I stared at that email for several minutes before what it said really hit me. Seriously? He is dead? My 1st thought was, "yeah sure he is, prove it" and my 2nd was "so was it natural causes?". I woke up Charming Husband and we turned on the news. It was true, and they had proof. I was happy he was dead. I'll say that again: I was happy that he was dead. I don't know that I've said that about anyone before. Even when Saddam Hussein was hanged I wasn't sure how I felt. I definitely wasn't upset but again it felt surreal, and I was filled with doubt that he had really died. Sunday night was different. I was immediately overcome with relief and emotion, but that was soon replaced by the fear of the unknown. Would his followers retaliate? Would we be in more danger than we were before? Was he really dead? But still, I rejoiced. He could never again murder innocent people.

I expected the reaction of people all over the US to be similar. I couldn't imagine that there were American citizens out there that wouldn't see this accomplishment for what is was. And then I logged on to Facebook. Ah, Facebook you little bitch. Full of the extremist views of people I went to high school with and barely liked then. I can tell you, there are at least 10 people whose statuses are now hidden from me because I am sick and tired of their ridiculous uber-liberal and uneducated-but-think-they-are-educated rants. Maybe waving the flag and chanting USA!USA! isn't your way of showing approval for what happened Sunday. That's fine, in fact, it wasn't mine either. But who are you to tell other people how they should feel? Who are you to tell people that they shouldn't celebrate the death of a terrorist and mass murderer? Do I think it is "unAmerican" that you are disgusted by these people or that bin Laden should have been captured alive and given a fair trial? Why yes, yes I do. Some people don't deserve fair trials. He is one of them. You give up your right to a fair trial when you are the mastermind behind the senseless murder of thousands of innocent people, not just in our country but in your own as well. And if you think this is the 1st time in history that Americans have celebrated the death of a deserving human being (and I use that term lightly) then maybe it's time you pick up a history book. Do you honestly think there wasn't a celebration when Hitler died? Granted, he took his own life, but only because he was minutes away from having it taken from him. The US waited to take out Hitler, had we gone in sooner or put pressure on him to hide away like a coward as we did to bin Laden, maybe 6 million people wouldn't have died. We knew right where he was the whole time and didn't take him out. Do you want THAT blood on your hands? I'd rather have the blood of an evil murderer than that of innocent people any day of the week. The fact of the matter is that some people do not deserve to live. And maybe I am not qualified to decide who falls into the category, but the leaders of this country and the CIA are qualified. They have more information than you could even fathom, so leave the dirty work up to them.

While I disagree with these people, they are entitled to their opinions. I don't get into political arguments with them or any of their lemmings because it isn't worth my time. No matter how I present my case and no matter how many facts I have to back it up, they will never see my point of view. They are so liberal their minds are completely closed. Anyone with a dissenting opinion is wrong, period, end of story. I am outraged by their view of this victory but I can't tell them how to feel. If they want to believe that a fair trial was in order then they can go on feeling that way. But do not dare to tell me it isn't ok to be happy. Do not dare to tell me that it isn't acceptable to be jumping in the streets celebrating and thanking the men and women of the US Military. You do not get to dictate how I feel. You're opinions cost me my freedoms every day. I can't say everything I want to say because someone will be offended. I can't raise my children the way I want because you will report any amount of discipline as child abuse. I can't keep the money I earn because it has to pay for your social programs. But I can feel however I damn well please. You cannot take that away from me.