Monday, May 2, 2011

The Difference

So Bin Laden is dead.


I told Caroline the news this morning after she woke up and, despite her being pretty familiar already with the players and events of the war that has lasted her entire life, this led to our summing up together, for converation's sake, the history behind the action taken by our brave special forces yesterday.

At the end of our discussion and summary, I asked her how she felt about this event. Her answer made me sit down and shut up.


"Mom, I'm glad he's gone and I know we had to do it and I'm glad he can't ever hurt anyone else. But I still don't think I will ever like the idea of celebrating and dancing and cheering over someone's death. Even his death. I'm just sad he lived a bad life and hurt so many people."


I feel humbled by her lack of hate. She is a better person than I am. Her entire life has been lived under the shadow of this war. Her father's employment has everything to do with it. She sees hate and fear and glorification of vengeance on a daily basis in our community. She regularly hears applause at the idea of retribution and I admit I haven't been innocent of this myself. And yet, she has managed to maintain her own ideas of what is right; she still recognizes the difference between a pragmatic resolve to end evil action and just plain bloodlust.


I can't believe this kid is ten.