I am supposed to be writing a more professional blog at the moment for publication on an official blogsite. But to be honest after the events of last week I felt it would be unsuitable to publish this as a professional piece. By the events last week I am referring of course to the assassination of Osama Bin Laden. An ugly ending to an ugly chapter if ever there was one. But for me his death has personal significance. It is already nearly 10 years since the 9/11 attacks. One of those times where everyone can usually recount where they were doing mostly because the news was so incredibly horrifying, and otherworldly. Nothing like it had happened before.
I remember where I was that day. I was 14 at the time, I had just got back to my house from work. On the way into the house my Mum mentioned something about planes crashing into the World Trade Center Towers. We got in the house sat down, and basically watched the world go mad. In real time we saw the last of the Twin Towers collapse in a massive and thunderous plume of grey smoke and debris. Myself at this time had little knowledge of US history or foreign affairs, and even less about it's political history. But my recollections of the good spiritedness of the country's people that I witnessed while living there, and my humane distate at the carnage glued me to my seat, trying to make some sense of it. I remember Mum admiring Colin Powell's powerful speech made on the day about the attacks not destroying the spirit of democracy. At that time I had no idea about him or the administration he worked in or even the Republican Party, but I got a thirst to want to know, as though the whole event was some giant jigsaw for me to put together.
Just when I thought I was starting to get some order in my head about it all I saw the inexplicable. People cheering. Cheering at the attacks, the hurt it caused and the lives it took. This particular footage over the BBC I saw was I believe in some Hamas controlled neighbourhood in Palestine. Men, women and children partied around with glee, amazing and trully unsettling. At the time I didn't know a thing about the Israeli-Palestine conflict, nothing about Hamas, Islamic Extremism, Islam even, Palestine or Israel.
I had a half curious outlook on politics and current affairs at the time. Not from this day on. 9/11 you could say was my political awakening. From then on I have begun a long process of learning to understand the world. I am learning as I go, but accept that I still have a long way to go. But the more I learn, the more I want to learn. For those out there afraid of big issues like terrorism I have this advice, don't be afraid to start from somewhere. I don't expect you to immerse yourself in books and news sites like me, but it's important (or at least I feel it is) to start from somewhere. If you believe something, stand up for it, but don't be afraid for it to be criticised (with cause). And most of all don't be afraid to admit you are wrong. And most of all, be very suspicious of anyone who tells you to pick enemies. I upset a whole room of socialists about a few years ago because I wouldn't swallow their class-war vision. We all have to live in this world, so making war on people for the sake of it is about as smart as making your toast in the bath.
Do I think justice has been done by Bin Laden's death? Not exactly. I think a resolution of sorts has happened, but the real problem we are dealing with isn't one man. Too many people still listen to his evil ideology which is ridiculously riddled with theological inconsistencies and inconsistencies with reality. His is the worst kind of cheap politics, easy answers for difficult problems surrounding difficult issues. But there is much to be encouraged about, the Arab Springs have so far been pretty free of Islamic Extremism, and even some people once receptive to Osama's message see him as politically redundant. What it is important to do now is minimise the parading around of his bloodstained (now submerged) body, and treat his legacy like the waste it trully is. Revenge as ever is a dish best served cold.
