LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Received May 2, 2011, from Jon Taylor, Vice President, FAU College Republicans. The UP did not alter the contents of this letter.
Osama Bin Laden was killed by our troops recently in a daring raid in Pakistan. I watched live as President Obama announced to the world that our troops had killed him and captured his body to aid in positive identification. On top of that, we didn’t suffer any casualties!
It was touching to watch the crowds swell in front of the White House in the very early hours of May 2nd, 2011. They were cheering “USA! USA! USA!” They were singing the national anthem. Flags were waving on every street corner. For a moment we were united, in a way not seen since the first few days, weeks and months after September 11, 2001.
I think it is important that we not look at this as the death of Bin Laden. Instead, this is vindication for all of those who perished on September 11, 2001, and for all of our troops who have given their lives to fight the terrorists on their turf and not our own. This is a reward for our first responders who also lost their lives trying to rescue their countrymen. All of us have sacrificed in order to pursue Bin Laden from all corners of the world, either by serving in the military or by supporting those close to us who have answered the call to arms, or by tolerating increased security in airports. This is the tangible reward we’ve been waiting on.
While initially I felt elation, I now realize that the real work begins. President George W. Bush said, “We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.” We may have killed Bin Laden, but the fight is far from over. We must continue to use our boots on the ground to protect not just our own freedom but the freedom of every person, just like we’ve been doing in every armed conflict since our nation was founded.
God Bless the USA!
Jon Taylor
