Monday 2 May 2011

9/11 Versus 5/2

It's the news everyone is talking about and I don't doubt that thousands of bloggers will be typing their fingers off over the next couple of days or maybe not? I certainly wasn't going to blog about it as I try to keep my blog fairly light-hearted and it's a highly controversial subject. However, you know when something's niggling at you and you need to write to get it off your chest? I wrote this post this afternoon and have been wondering whether to press publish but I've been inspired by this blog by Readily A Parent to post it.  You should go and read it, I feel it's a poignant reminder to us all.

The worlds most wanted man, Osama Bin Laden, is dead.

My knee-jerk reaction when I heard this morning was this was brilliant news but the more I have thought about it over the course of the day, the more my stomach is beginning to fill with dread. Dread that things are only going to get worse. A lot worse.

You see, I have very strong connections with America. Half my family live there.

Like everyone else, I remember the attack on the twin towers on 9/11 vividly. I was holidaying in Kefalonia in Greece when I switched on my mobile phone to see a text from a work colleague telling me of the events. My heart was in mouth. I ran back to the apartment and switched on the TV and the realisation of what was happening hit me like a kick in the stomach. I sat on the bed and cried.

My Uncle, whom I adore, was an airline pilot at the time (he's since retired) and he flew that route so many times. I rang my parents straight away but they told me they had tried endlessly to contact Uncle David without luck.

I couldn't relax. I was stuck in a foreign country on a holiday to try and save my marriage with a guy I didn't love. I've never felt so alone in my whole life. Even thinking about it all now makes me fill up.

Eventually my Mum rang me to let me know Uncle David was safe. He'd actually just landed in Boston when the first plane hit.

My Uncle was fine but thousands of people weren't that day. The repercussions of the tragedy rippled through the world. Stories were told, stories of immense sadness and devastation. As someone who's visited ground zero and also visited the Newseum in Washington DC (see some of my photos here or click on the photo opposite) I stand by my initial reaction - I was glad he was dead.

However, now I feel somewhat numbed by it all and I haven't turned the news on at all today because I think that the 'celebrations' I've heard about are wrong.

I've been a little subdued today since the news properly sunk in. I can't help that even though some people think this is the end it is actually only the start. I grow fearful that an already crazy world full of a lot of hatred and crime will only be fueled by todays events and I worry about the future in which my daughter is growing up. I know that's a very deep and dark statement to make but I can't help but feel that way.

I don't doubt that I'll remember this day too. Where I was and what I was doing on 5/2 when I heard the news that 'he' was dead.

29 comments:

MichelleTwinMum said...

It is a dark day and like you say probably just the start of even more scarier times.

Mich x

Mummy and the Beastie said...

You are right in what you say, I can't see his death being taken lightly and the extremists are not going anywhere. I worry a lot about the world our little ones are growing up in too :-( x

alysonsblog said...

you know I have mixed feelings about this - as I said on twitter today this doesnt actually mean anything on the stopping terrorism front, he was a well known notorious wanted man for the atrocities he wreaked on other countries and religions, so I think it was just and fair that he be brought to justice - revelling in his death - thats a whole other matter - though I understand what the Americans were 'celebrating' for them this is symbolic - good trumps evil - justice will out. I get that - I think its very much in their culture of success and winning. This is a win for them, a horrendous man is no more.

In the cold light of day its not ideal to praise killing a man - even a man responsible for atrocities - but I dont know the exact circumstances of his capture/killing it strikes me that he wouldnt be one for going quietly, so it would be death and martyrdom if given a chance at it.

So do I understand the relief, yes I do, do I think they are right to celebrate? - say a prayer yes.. dance in the street.. maybe not.. but I do get why they want to. This isnt going to stop global terrorism but thats the nature of the World we live in, Im not sure its going to make matters worse exactly, i think we are in the same sad sorry state of affairs we were in before it was announced if Im honest xx

New Mum Online said...

Have a read of the link below, it is very interesting. (It makes sense too of what hubby heard on the radio... 1 +5 is 6 and 6 upside down is 9.... as in 9 11...because it was 1st May in U.S. when it happened)

http://numerologyzenzone.wordpress.com/2011/05/02/and-justice-prevails-osama-bin-laden-is-dead/

New Mum Online said...

and the 11 from 2011 xx

This Mid 30s Life said...

I was going to write about this but you've pretty much said it for me!

I'm glad he was caught. But the images of the crowds celebrating have me feeling very unsettled. If I had lost a loved one in 9/11 I might feel different, but I can't help but feel this is just asking for a series of reprisal attacks.

mum in meltdown said...

This is really a hard one as most people would want some kind of justice for all those people who died so it wasn't in vain, but this surely will lead to other things. Worrying :(

Mrs E said...

I was looking at my daughter today and it made me feel very sad and uneasy that we have to worry so much about even going to a big city or public place in case of revenge attacks. We live in a sad world and unfortunately I do not think that his death is going to make any difference- in fact I think it is going to make it worse. I like MummyandtheBeastie worry about what kind of world our children are growing up in. x

Unknown said...

Thanks for being brave enough to comment ladies. It's a controversial subject and not one I know exactly how I feel about myself so it was a hard post to write.

I've actually put the news on for the first time tonight and I wept again when I saw the video footage of the twin towers - all those innocent lives shed. If I'd lost my beloved Uncle that day I don't know how I would be feeling with todays events. Different? The same? I don't really know.

My family who live out there are all American and I love them dearly and I love that country dearly too but I feel uncomfortable watching them celebrate on the news, I just can't help it.

Unknown said...

It is scary times indeed and raises lots of questions about how he managed to evade capture so long.. and as you say the bad guy was just one of numerous following that extremist ideology

Unknown said...

I saw a woman on 'Lorraine' this morning who lost her daughter in the 7/7 attack in London. She made an interesting point that Bin Laden was actually radicalised himself and that he is simply a product of his upbringing and the culture he was raised in. Despite losing her own daughter, she could see how radicalised Muslims believe wholeheartedly that they are fighting for the right side. It's a difficult one, I worry about the world my boy will grow up in. I have a post about this in draft but I keep deleting and adding bits!

New Mum Online said...

Read this:
http://thebadmomsclub.com/2011/05/sometimes-bad-moms-think-it-best-to-stay-quiet.html

Unknown said...

Thanks for all your comments and thanks for the links Liska.

It really is such a tough one and it's still weighing heavy on my mind.

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