World - Osama = Peace?

            I am an American, a New Yorker.  Because of this, I share in the joy that we finally got the man who took away my innocence by showing me what evil truly is.  Since 9/11 I (along with many others, I assume) can no longer fly on a plane without having anxiety attacks.  I sometimes find myself staying near by the stairs in the train stations just in case.  On that day a plethora of new fears was born within me and, for a minute after I heard the news of Osama Bin Laden’s death, I breathed a sigh of relief that I had not noticed I was holding for almost 10 years.  My relief did not last long.

            I watched for a few minutes as Americans gathered outside of the White House cheering and celebrating.  My cheerfulness quickly turned into something more complicated and unsettled my stomach.  A million thoughts entered my mind.  How does this make us any better than they were when they celebrated in the streets after 9/11?  What if he planned for this?  Who will step up to take his place?  Where there is a void, something must fill it.  All of a sudden I did not feel any better or safer than I did before I heard the news.

           I know there are millions of people out there who are glad to see him dead, and many feel that the death of all those killed in the September 11^th attacks have finally been avenged.  I agree every bit with all of those feelings, but let’s not be fooled into thinking that this means that we are any closer to a more peaceful world.  Our children will still have to deal with the evils of this world for they will never cease to exist.