Yesterday, May 01, 2011 around 7.30 pm as I was busy making supper, my husband who was on the computer came rushing into the living room urging me to put the television on . It's then I saw the words Breaking News flashing bright and the death of Osama Bin Ladin was announced. The news came sudden and unexpected at a time, the country as well as the world is wading through many breaking news.
On March 11, around noon a massive and monstrous tsunami rocked Japan by swallowing up thousands of residents, houses, cars and boats, jerked the nuclear plants and created radioactive alert zones arund and left the land in total dismay and shock. That made breaking news.
Then came the regime change in Egypt after five decades of rule by President Mobarak. Here the march of the protesters was peaceful and the stepping down of the president without much killing was commendable. Yes, this too made into Breaking News.
Voices in Libya called out to their leader too to step down and let the people choose a leader in a democratic way. Their genuine and peaceful call resulted in massive opposition and many people, including one of Gadaffi's son and grand children died in the crossfire and aerial attack. This too made into Breaking News lately.
In recent weeks, gigantic tornados swirled in from nowhere with no siren warning in Alabama and Georgia killing at least 300 people young and old and swooped away houses and smashed down buildings into mere rubbles. Shocking and devastating, it too got into Breaking News.
And then, yesterday, the Breaking News of Bin Ladin came as a surprise, but it brought relief and celebration to this land of America. Exactly ten years after the attack on the twin towers, this news of avenge had reached this land for it to celebrate. For those who lost their loved ones on Sept 11, 2001, it had brought comfort and closure to their unending grief and loss.
Though the celebration of the crowd on the death of someone they hated seem right, it does put us in the same level as those people under Bin Laden who rejoiced and celebrated on the day the planes hit the twin towers and killed people in thousands. It's easy for me, who wasn't affected by such tragedy to talk about right and wrong. But would I not join and celebrate with the crowd if one of my loved one had been killed on 9/11. Probably so. Bin Laden's death a 'good day' for America, said the Breaking News. I hope so. I pray so. I pray that there won't be another 9/11 like happening not only on this soil, but on any soil even if it's the soil of those we disagree, oppose or hate.
A simple act of hatredness leads into violence and that inturn may give rise to atrocious and evil act of killing innocent and cruel alike. What makes a person choose good and another to choose evil? Both, when born were innocent as any babies could be. What makes some to grow out to be Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Desmond Tutu and Marthin Luther King Jr and some others to grow out to be Adolf Hitler, Sadam Hussein and Bin Laden? They too made breaking news in their parents lives when they took the first breath of air, cut their first tooth, took their first step and so forth. What made the change of direction and the choice of evil over good. Was it the circumstance? their belief ? Disappointment over something? Or all together to some degree?
Have we in anyway played a part in anyway for their actions? We never know and we've got no answer for that. Bin Laden is said to be a religious person and a spiritual leader? How could he then even think of orchestrating such a horrendous attack on thousands of innocent people the way he did? Even Hitler proclaimed to be a Christian and then and ordered the genocide of Jews. Why? Why? And Why?
Why can't people choose to love, live and let others live peace? Why is this beautiful earth be put to groan and weep by atrocious acts? Why can't God intervene and put a total stop to violence, cruelty and killings? If only we've answers to all these questions and have the power to put everything aright, what a peaceful place this world could be. For that to happen, we need to humble ourselves and turn to God and ask Him to put us aright first and then give us the wisdom to do what is right, noble, beautiful, peaceful. Hope and pray for those days to come in my time and in generation to come.***
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