Historical Day

I was sixteen years old on 09/11/01. It was a scary day and scary times. The face of Bin Ladin appeared as the mastermind. Across the world, there were videos of children dancing in the street and celebrating "death to America". We learned one thing that day; there are people in this world who not only want us dead just for being American, but there are also people willing to take action to kill us.

I watched the second plane hit the World Trade Center on television. I walked down the hallway to my mom's room, "Wake up Mom; we're at war," I said echoing the words spoken by the news anchors. We were at war, and I think here, it was something you felt long before President Bush officially declared it.

It's hard to know what it means to be at war until you do, but today I see the poison it leaves in the hearts of all who are truly invested in war. What did I feel when I heard Bin Ladin was dead? Joy, like most Americans... I wanted him dead, not captured, and I think he got what he deserves. It is a good day for America because our enemy is dead.

Yet, as I was driving to work this morning, I realized that I had to decide how to help children see this. I knew that the kids would come to school talking about it, and that many celebrated it last night. It was a victory for us, but it is still something black in your heart that rejoices in death.

So, I handled it by saying, "We're glad to be safer. We're glad our soldiers we're successful, but we are still saddened that all of this happened." I think that is the truth about what I feel.