With the death of one man.

If you’ve been living under a rock for a while, I should let you know that Osama bin Laden has been killed by American forces.

I was stalking viewing a friend’s Facebook wall and one of those account hacking spam things was posted.

My morbid side was intrigued, so I googled the image. I could tell it was Photoshopped [Warning: graphic image] [Warning: lame pun with “graphic” and “image.”], but the abject fanaticism over the picture is what really piqued my interest.

I for one am glad that Osama bin Laden has finally been killed. He masterminded the attacks that killed thousands of innocent people. He has incited a message of hate that has spread across the world.

I’m glad that he is dead. But I don’t rejoice over his death. I am somewhat disgusted by the partying and celebrating outside the White House and throughout the United States.

How animalistic can we Americans be? Isn’t this exactly what radical Muslims did when the Twin Towers were destroyed? Don’t we claim that we’re better than they? More humane, more civil?

Apparently not.

It’s true, this man needed to die. I feel like justice has been served. Despite his international status as a harbinger of terrorism and hate, he is still a human. I am disturbed that people get so excited and bloodthirsty over a photoshopped image of a bloody and dead Osama. Yes, he’s dead. I know. Let him stay dead.

Now it’s quote time!
My friend Elisa says, “I am not in favor of violence. But terrorism will not go away on it’s own. It needs to be destroyed.”

In the words of my roommate Riley, ‎”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. . . . As President Obama said, may God bless us all, and may God bless America.”

A passage from the Book of Mormon, in 1 Nephi 4:11-13 reads as follows: “Yea, and I also knew that he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had taken away our property.
Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.”

As a final thought, the words of Martin Luther King Jr, with forward by Jessica Dovey:
 ‎”I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy.” “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

May we as human beings be civil and kind to others. That is my plea.