First Thoughts

When Jason woke me up at o'dark thirty, I came up out of bed with a twinge of fear. But he said, "We got him. We got Bin Laden."

It was a Facebook note from my son, serving in the navy, that alerted Jason.

I got up and switched on the news. It was with a sort of grim satisfaction that I watched the replay of the President's announcement.

And since I am a human and therefore a wee bit complicated, I've been bee-bopping through various emotions. Visceral then thoughtful, mature, then immature, proud and annoyed.

I have always supported the hunt for Bin Laden. Reinvent whatever history you need for your own peace of mind, my red neighbors, but I've never met a single "liberal" who thought we should just let the whole 9/11 thing go.

I was 100% behind President Bush when we went into Afghanistan, lo these many years ago, to hunt the man down like the dog he was.

It was the straying from, and therefore weakening, that mission that lost Mr. Bush my support.

I am happy that at long last, justice for the murder of all those innocents has been done.

I am sad that there were so many more innocents killed for this moment.

I am happy that Al Qaeda has suffered such a blow.

I am sad that it will most likely not go unanswered.

I am furious that my congressional representative had the low class nerve to go on national television and crow about American "vengeance" being done.

I am as sickened by those reveling in the death as I am about those who spew out bitter bon mots against President Obama that seem to completely contradict what they expected him to do about Bin Laden just the day before.

So proud of the young American servicemen (and women) who carried out this mission with skill and bravery. We'll probably never know who you are for your own safety, but thank you.