This “where were you when ...” moment happened a world away, as a few warriors brought a short, intense and decisive battle to the doorstep of a mass murderer whose face had come to illustrate terrorism.
An airborne element of surprise and good marksmanship left Osama bin Laden dead along with a handful of his henchmen on Sunday.
The only loss here — and it is not a large one — is that bin Laden chose to resist, rather than surrender. That resulted in his swift death, as opposed to being captured alive, interrogated thoroughly and brought to trial.
His final act of defiance simply brought justice upon him that much faster.
Any intelligence that could have been gained pales against the certainty that this coward — who masqueraded as a man of faith — will never again plot the deaths of innocents. For that, all of America and the peace-loving world should be thankful.
Today, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution presents an expanded section of opinion and insights about the death of Osama bin Laden and what it may mean for our still-troubled world. As always, we’ve looked worldwide to bring you a broad, balanced selection of viewpoints.
Given the fractured nature of our civic and political life these days, our enemies might have mistakenly expected that some quarters of America would condemn our attack on bin Laden.
That isn’t likely to happen, certainly not on a large scale. Our enemies, too, often underestimate and misunderstand us.
Yes, it’s an American pastime to bicker amongst ourselves, but this diverse nation can unify in a heartbeat when threats beget attacks.
Perhaps bin Laden recognized that fact after he took advantage of our open society to turn jetliners into weapons.
He was far from the first despot to learn that American anger, while slow to kindle, is thorough and long-burning in its resolve.
America mourned its 9/11 dead and then took off in rough-and-ready pursuit of this generation’s symbol of evil. The war that ensued is being fought to this day across multiple, faraway fronts.
The reality of its terrible cost comes home all too often still, in the form of flag-draped coffins borne through our streets.
The events of 9/11 changed America. We will never be the same in ways too many to count.
Our airports are now fortified against future attacks of the kind that turned three civilian jets into missiles. America’s enemies should know, too, that there is truth in the assertion that future hijackers may face an armed air marshal backed by a planeload of unarmed deputies.
That’s but one example of how we’re different now. Americans don’t like to fight, but we will — to the end. Those who have sworn hatred against us should know that.
And this fight, sadly, is far from done. Americans began celebrating bin Laden’s death minutes after the news began filtering across this land. It seems just and proper that we recognize bin Laden’s violent end.
When the last echoes of jubilation have ended, we should then turn back to the deadly serious business that remains at hand. It will likely be with us for a long time.
The death of bin Laden does not mean the end of our struggle against violent fanaticism. Too many who mean us harm continue to hold sway in the world’s dark corners.
It is that evil which we must continually resolve to pursue and, ultimately, vanquish — by any moral means necessary.
Andre Jackson, for the Editorial Board
