Patriotism and the Killing of Osama bin Laden: An Example
Personal Reflections on Social Justice
So much attention lately is being paid to the notion of what it means to be American. What it means to have pride in one’s country. What it means to be able to sort out what is and is not important. What it means to be a patriot.
In the film “The American President,” Andrew Shepherd reminds Americans that there is ambiguity and there are a lot of things that are not clear. He warns, “America is advanced citizenship; you gotta want it bad” (“final speech,” 1995, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_American_President).
As someone who is interested in social justice, I have prided myself on trying to do what is right in my teaching, writing, and volunteer work. This includes trying to find ways to help homeless persons with their immediate and longer-terms needs and goals. This also includes giving a great deal of advice (sometimes actually welcomed!) about how to help others, how to better understand unhoused persons, and how to look for and find resources such as grant dollars.
I think I am justified in saying Osama bin Laden was a pretty dangerous leader… and a threat to the world. Not unlike some current “leaders” who threaten to destroy our democracy and ruin our informed and progressive, purposeful way of life most Americans are proud of.
The night of May 2, 2011, I had just arrived in Washington, D.C., to work on a project with a federal agency. I ran into the hotel late that night, very hungry, and found out the restaurant was closed. A bartender flagged me down in the lobby and told me the bar was still open, and I could still order from the kitchen but had only five minutes to do so.
I immediately ordered a double cheeseburger and a drink. He ran into the kitchen. I sat down and noticed one of my best friends, another consultant to federal agencies, entering and trying to find out if the restaurant was still open. I told her “no” and apprised her of the double cheeseburger agenda.
She ran over to the bartender, ordered the same, and then sat down.
Like always, we traded barbs like, “Boy! I guess they are desperate if they brought you here too!” …and “Well, they could not get qualified people so they resorted to calling just anybody they could find at the last minute…so glad to see you!” She is one of the most knowledgeable reviewers of federal grant proposals I have ever known. She and I had worked on several panels together before that, and we knew each other’s style and capability. We have the same type of doctorate degree—in the same field even.
We got our sandwiches quickly and talked about the federal grant program as we heard cheering coming from the television, hanging over the bar, and could see there was something happening in DC. However, we did not know what.
We asked the bartender to please turn up the volume so we could hear what was happening. He did so right away.
There on the screen was President Barack Obama (we were both big fans) and he was announcing there had been a special operation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Osama_bin_Laden)
…and that Osama bin Laden had in fact been killed (http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/05/02/bin.laden.announcement/index.html).
I remarked immediately to my friend that it was exciting—we were in DC the same night this happened! She agreed.
We also learned that perhaps “hundreds” of people—mostly younger people—were celebrating in front of the White House…
It was thrilling. “Everybody’s president” (as he was often called) had succeeded in finding bin Laden and extinguished that terrible threat. My associate was thrilled, as I was, that this president, who stood up for equality and fairness, had saved the world from this dictator.
Suddenly my friend jumped up and yelled, “Let’s go!”
I asked, “What? Where?”
She grabbed her purse and backpack. “We’re going to the White House to celebrate! Go upstairs and grab a jacket…meet you back here in five!”
We met back up; we ran outside and grabbed a cab. We headed toward the White House and suddenly noticed there was a great deal of traffic—people walking in the street. The cab driver told us we would have to walk the rest of the way…saying he would get trapped soon and wouldn’t be able to get back out.
We arrived in front of the White House. But it was NOT hundreds of people… I think it was in the thousands. People of all ages, especially college students, of all colors, were dancing and hugging and singing in the street. They sang the U.S. National Anthem and the Marseillaise. They sang many other songs that night. Kids were climbing the light posts and hugging.
We wound up pressed up against a Korean news team speaking in their language and broadcasting live. They found people to interview in English—and in Korean—and there were many young people.
DC is full of colleges and universities, and my friend and I talked to students from all over the country—and from all over the world. The crowd got louder and louder… more and more people were showing up to hug. And hug they did. They screamed and chanted and yelled and sang and shouted.
It was an exciting and unifying experience. We were part of something great, we felt. We reveled in the fact that “everybody’s president” was indeed our president also. A man who believed in rights for all—no matter the color or lifestyle. A president who came to support same-sex marriage, even, once Michelle convinced him.
My friend is Black, and I am White. We were standing next to a Black couple. Thinking my friend and I were also a couple, the gentleman said to me under his breath “Isn’t it wonderful how our country has changed? Not too long ago, people would have had a big problem with your relationship,” as he pointed at us. We shook hands with the couple, and we all hugged.
There was not enough time to explain we were not a couple… and it was getting too noisy to be able to communicate very well anyway. There was a huge crowd, celebrating in front of the White House that night.
…Okay now wait for it:
—And I was there!!!—
As we walked away later and students from “Catholic” and the other campuses were trying to figure out how to convince a taxi driver to take them back home. They were having a rough time.
I felt safe, as my friend and I walked down the street, surrounded by students…
and people from many lands (DC is always an international experience of course and nobody ever seems to “be from there” actually when you need directions). Two handsome young men walked in front of us and we continued down the street, thinking maybe we should take the subway back to the hotel.
I motioned toward the guys in front of us. I said to my friend “The president of gay couples too!” And I smiled. So many people supported President Obama because of the decent and fair and civil man he was, in addition to having plans to do some good things. And of course some tings not everybody agreed with.
My friend whispered to me “Those kids are room mates! They are not a couple!”
Just then, the guys stopped and faced each other. Right in the middle of the street, they hugged and started kissing.
I didn’t say anything.
My friend simply said, “Okay.”
The kind of president many people adored as their own. Civility, decency, yes a bit of arrogance. But nothing terribly embarrassing. What a great legacy.
And what a great country in which to be a patriot. A great country that needs to keep trying harder.
.
Fast forward to 2024…
There is a clever meme going around on Facebook recently. It shows a few devils in hell, watching as a globe in a hand basket falls before them. One devil says to another, “I’m surprised it took them this long.”