I don't speak your language, oh no.

It seems to me that speaking "Americano" is equivalent to "drinking the Kool-aid." There are some who speak Americano and some who do not. As Americans, we are expected to fall in line and perpetuate a propagandistic patriotism to a rather frightening extent. After the news of Bin Laden's death, my facebook feed was filled with celebratory expression and I found myself a bit sick. It seemed like there was a collective sense of bloodlust on the part of many of my peers and I was quite disturbed. Even President Obama's address left me a bit turned off, though I'm not sure he could have handled it differently. While I recognize the significance of the moment and the idea that justice has been served, I refuse to celebrate the death of another human being, no matter how cruel.

The next day, my friend Kim and I were chatting in the commons of UW's pristine new business building and a stranger interjected, asking us if we'd heard about Bin Laden. He was probably in his 40's or 50's and had experienced 9/11 as a longtime New Yorker. He described that day and inquired about our experiences as 5th graders hearing such news. The conversation was lengthy, but it seemed that even he was left with an odd sense of disturbance, that this death was not being handled properly. Our consensus was that of feeling jarred and uncomfortable about the perpetuation of hate we had witnessed.

Today in my Art History class, which centers around themes of empire and colonialism, the topic was appropriately discussed. A variety of opinions were expressed, but a level of respect was maintained. I was particularly taken with something a classmate from Bangladesh said. Plainly she stated, "I'm not going to celebrate, but I'm glad he is dead," emphasizing the shadow he has cast over the Muslim faith. I found her point of view to be incredibly valuable. I feel as if I still do not fully understand what this event means to me, but I still maintain my distaste for the bloodlust and hate masked as patriotism.

A fantastic article (from the Huffington Post, oddly enough) is in my mind, a necessary read. Pamela Gerloff realistically addresses the situation, but is unwavering in her opinion. And because she has so gracefully articulated her thoughts—not all that dissimilar to mine—I'll just leave it at that.

GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

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What I would give to sit in bed and talk to John and Yoko...