So big news over the weekend, right? Not the wedding. Not the beatification. That other piece of news.
A bad man is dead.
Tom and I first found out when my MIL called to see if we had heard the news. We hadn't had the tv on at all, except to watch that other news-worthy event, the celebration of a great man, so it was definitely news to us. I let the news set in while Tom and his mom talked. I checked Facebook, which was all abuzz with the news. I finally turned the tv on. And I was kind of bothered by what I saw. Crowds of people in Times Square and at the White House acting like it was New Year's Eve or after a big championship game. I was torn about how to feel. Now if you know me, or have ever been in my house, you know my love of this great country. And I am definitely a fan of putting boots "you know where" a la Toby Keith when needed. The American military is made up of the bravest, most capable people on earth, and they deserve to be celebrated for what they do. But I was still disturbed to see such joy out of people over the death of a man. I assumed that my emotional confusion was due to the hormonal craziness taking place inside of me. Becoming a mother definitely changes the way you see the world, especially during the nine months of pregnancy. When I'm pregnant, there are certain movies I won't watch because their effect on me is so strong emotionally, and sometimes physically. (And then there are the crazy dreams I am prone to have during those 9 months.) Being a mother wakes up your compassion. To all human beings. Death and war are, unfortunately, a part of life. I know that. There was a time in my life that I was prepared to be the cause of death should Uncle Sam ask that of me. But that doesn't mean that death should be a cause for joy. In all likelihood, this man will spend eternity in Hell. The saying, "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy" comes to mind. All of these feelings were overwhelming me, but I couldn't exactly put into words how I truly felt about the news. Until I read a friend's status on Facebook, quoting the Vatican's official statement. "Faced with the death of a man, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibility of everyone before God and man, and hopes and pledges that every event is not an opportunity for a further growth of hatred, but of peace." As for me, I will be grateful for our military and their success, hopeful that we are one step closer to peace, and joyful that while most are focused on the death of bad man, a holy man is celebrated for the good he did and leading more of the faithful to our Lord. Blessed John Paul II, pray for us!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I'm happy he's dead...but...thank goodness I didn't see any news coverage of celebrations. That, I think, is wrong. Someone's death is no reason to pop open the champagne. But what really bothers me is WHY these people cared so much? How has the war on terror affected them? Did their husband die in the WTC bombing? Is their son deployed to Afghanistan? For some, perhaps, the answer is yes. But for the vast bulk of Americans, the war has meant absolutely nothing to them. To be apathetic for 9 years and then to jump for joy seems offensive to those who have suffered.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree, Michelle. I didn't go into that aspect of it so much in this post, but I did try to share that opinion in a comment on another blog. (I don't think it went over so well.) Dancing in the streets is something appropriate for a VJ/VE day, when a war is over. Bin Laden may be dead, but he has plenty of people ready to continue his work, so this is far from over, in my opinion.
ReplyDelete