It was true. President Obama had announced that a special operation had successfully located and killed Osama bin Laden. No Americans were injured and his body had already been buried at sea. I messaged my friend Levi, who is always up to date on the political happenings of the world, and he filled me in on all the details and the reactions that were occurring state-side. It just didn't seem real. We even discussed conspiracy theories, which I'm a big fan of, so inquire within if you want my take on that side of it (it does come at a rather politically convenient time). But more than anything, I wondered what this meant, and especially what kind of reaction I would get here in Madrid. Not really knowing how to feel, I settled down to sleep, and did so soundly until my host mom woke me up for lunch. I sat down at the table. Nothing. I didn't want to bring it up, because I generally avoid talking politics with foreigners for obvious reasons. Then finally, it came on the news. The report lasted about 2 minutes. My host-parents were surprised, and said that they hadn't heard because it was a Madrid holiday and there was no newspaper. We discussed briefly, and that was it. Very anti-climactic.
I spent the rest of the day, doing pretty much nothing; getting caught up on school work, unpacking, etc. I watched as the facebook statuses and excited emails from my friends rolled in. I saw the pictures go up of BU students marching on Boston Commons in celebration. I waited for something in Madrid. You would think that in a city where just 7 years ago, in 2004, a series of attacks on public transportation carried out by al-Qaeda followers killed nearly 200 people and injured at least 1800, there would be some kind of reaction to the death of the organization's leader. You would be wrong. His death passed very silently.
I remained in shock and awe. How do you react to the death of someone who has been the world's number one bad guy for as long as you can remember? How do you feel about the death of the man who was, at least indirectly, responsible for the single most significant political event of your childhood, which still continues to shape world politics today? Despite the sect of reactors who are now proclaiming that the celebration of death under any circumstance is wrong, I doubt that there are many Americans who can truly say that when they first heard the news that they didn't feel a sense of relief, pride, happiness, or some combination of the 3.
Personally, I just felt like the word should stop turning. Or its axis should tilt. Something earth-shattering should occur. But none of that happened. Time marches on and we continue our lives as if nothing has changed. And maybe it hasn't. In the brief conversation that I had with my host family about this issue, the consensus was that his death is mostly symbolic. Unfortunately, there are plenty more where he came from. I think that what's more important is our reaction to it. As for me, I think the primary emotion that it caused in me was homesickness. His death is something that hits very close to home, and I'm wishing that I could be on American soil to witness and participate in the emotionally charged reaction that is bound to be occurring.
In a broader sense, being abroad, especially when an event like this takes place, has certainly given me some new perspective on what it really means to be an American. I have faced a variety of reactions and attitudes towards my nationality, very few of which have resulted in an immediate negative opinion of me. Fortunately, I think that the majority of people are able to separate my person from my government, but that doesn't change the fact that the American government is certainly viewed in a negative light. Just this past weekend, I found myself in a hostel with 2 Brazilians, 2 Canadians and a Swede and the topic broached upon (as it so often does) the American perception. They all openly admitted that they "hate" America. When I pressed them for an explanation, most of them just started blankly and/or laughed awkwardly, until the Swede proffered "we just do." One of the Canadian girls provided a more feasible explanation of "it's just like how everybody hates the popular kid." The conversation then clumsily changed topics to how "How I Met Your Mother" is such a great show (it's American, just to throw that out there).
This is what drives me crazy. Ignorance. Americans get the bad reputation of being ignorant, but tell me this: how is an American who's never traveled thinking that America is fantastic any worse than a Brazilian who's never been there thinking that it's awful? People can spend their whole lives hating America, without ever meeting on American or stepping foot on American soil, and you can reason it however you want but above all things it is ignorant. Now when I say ignorant, I don't mean it in the derogatory sense like our society usually uses it. For me, ignorance is more of an inherent quality of human beings than a negative characteristic which is developed over time. We are born into houses, into families, and into towns, where we grow up and learn everything we know about the world, despite seeing only a very small cross section of it. And this is what's comfortable. We can travel as many places as we want, meet as many people, try as many weird foods and speak as many languages, but we are, first and foremost, a product of our homes. Wanting to cling to our original traditions and values is normal. And being afraid of what's different is normal too. Perhaps I speak too much from personal experience, as I have yet to find a place that has even come close to making me feel at home the way America, or even Arizona, or even Tucson does. But I do believe that people are comfortable with what we know, and why it certainly makes us ignorant at times, it absolutely does not make us bad. This truth is the root of so many of the world's problems, because we can't just accept it and let others live how they choose.
So we have our values and we believe in them, and sometimes it's hard for us to see it from another's perspective. To me, this does not even come close to outweighing all the good that America does in the world. We are a center of innovation and ingenuity. Some of the most significant, quality of life improving inventions/discoveries such as electricity, the automobile, industrial production of penicillin, the polio vaccine, and the personal computer were all brought to you by Americans. We are a center for entrepreneurship and a safe haven for intellectual property. We house the most successful and prestigious educational institutions in the world which people from all over want to attend. We are the birthplace of cultural icons in music, film, and television which provide inspiration and comic relief to people everywhere, everyday. Our government is the number one giver of foreign aid in sheer volume, not to mention that which comes from private charity organizations based in the U.S. We also are the largest givers of foreign direct investment (aka money which helps those in other countries start/maintain companies), giving approximately twice as much as France, which is the 2nd largest. Those are just a few of the positive things that come out of the United States.
Those who like to purport the opinion of the U.S. as a jerk will undermine the positive attributes I have listed by saying that we're also the worst polluters, quickest to use brute military force, and the most self-righteous and self-promoting country out there. And maybe those things are true. I'm certainly not trying to deny that the U.S. has made its fair share of mistakes. But, I have to say these attitudes of pursuing self-interest and imposition of one's beliefs aren't any less prevalent in other parts of the world - they're just more apparent in the U.S. because we're so powerful. China is making no more efforts than we are to curb carbon emissions, it has just only now become a problem because their economy hasn't had any steam (no pun intended) until the last few decades. Countries all over the Middle East are no less guilty of blood-shed for the sake of imposing their desired ways of life upon others. European powers are just as guilty of using their economic strength to persuade others in the EU to follow their lead. Maybe this is just the cynic in me, but people always want to look out for themselves. It's our natural instinct, and it's just the way it is. And we won’t stop protecting ourselves until everybody can agree to just live and let live. If the U.S. suddenly decided to stop exerting our power, they would hate us just the same, because people hate what they don't understand, and they hate people who have what they can't. I think that the most important thing that needs to be emphasized is acceptance, and when we can learn to accept one another regardless of race, religion, politics, or socio-economic status, then we'll be on our way to a more peaceful world. Everyone needs to stop acting like Americans are just a bunch of ignorant, capitalist, war hawks, because the truth is, we're just like everyone else - trying to make our way in the world, the only way we know how - but we lack understanding and acceptance of those who lead different lives, just like everybody else.
I know talk is cheap (or I guess text, in this case), and believe me I don't fancy myself an exception to this rule. I don't pretend to understand what it's like to grow up in a country without running water, electricity, or the knowledge that there will always be food on the table for the next meal. I don't pretend to understand being at the mercy of a society that feels it right to stone me for the slightest indiscretion. I don't pretend to understand what it would feel like to be deprived of the right to an education. What I do know, is that I will never stop being proud of a country that has given me more opportunities than most ever dream of. I will never stop being proud of a country that believes in the freedom to speak your mind, the freedom to be who you want to be, and the freedom to dream as big as you can. I will never stop being proud of a country that believes in freedom for all, no matter how misguided its attempts at proliferating it may be. I choose to believe in the good of the American people. I choose to believe that we do what we do because we want everyone to have it as good as us. I choose to believe that we believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all, regardless of race, creed or color.
As for the death of Osama bin Laden, who can really say what it means? I will not sit here and self-righteously claim that the celebration of any death is wrong. He was a murderer of thousands of innocent people, not only of his own race and religion, but those of all corners of the globe. If there were ever such a thing as a moral death, this was it. Unfortunately, I also recognize that this isn't the end of anything. Hatred runs deep, for all the reasons that I've already discussed and beyond. But there is no doubt that it is symbolic, and there are some things that I hope we, as Americans, can take out of this experience.
I hope that this will be a turning point and a catalyst for the United States to get out of the Middle East. As much as I believe in our values and message, it is not our battle to fight. I wish that we would support our desire for freedom with finances, guidance and diplomacy instead of force and that we would save the use of our military for when we truly might need protection. I hope that we may take the Arab Spring as an inspiration, and see that the people themselves are realizing what could be better and fighting for their own change. But they have to want it for themselves, and that goes to the very core of my message to live and let live, all the while believing that people can be good.
Now, regardless of whether or not I agree with President Obama's politics (hint: I usually don't), it's hard to deny that he is a brilliant speaker. I personally was very touched by the speech he gave when announcing bin Laden's death, and I would like to share one particular excerpt which affected me (when you read it, please put your politics aside and remember that it's not about supporting a particular party or politician, it's about supporting America):
I believe in this message. I believe that we have the right to defend our values and protect what's ours, just as everyone else should. I believe that in this case, justice has been done. It may be unclear where we stand on the world front, or whether we should continue with our democracy-spreading crusades, but I personally feel no doubt as to our good intentions and the values the we hold dear in our hearts.
Right now, I wish with all my heart for the safety of everyone and that those who wish to avenge bin Laden's death do not find success. I hope that none of my family members, friends, fellow Americans, or fellow human beings have to suffer for his undoing. I hope for closure for the families who lost loved ones on September 11th. I hope that we can let Osama bin Laden be nothing more than a memory. I hope for unity. And above all, I am proud to be an American.
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