"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Martin Luther King Jr
Yeah, I know I'm British and so a lot of people would say I don't have a say in this, but fuck celebrating this.
I am glad that he's dead, I can do that, I can be happy that someone who caused so much hate and anger and retaliation which led to more hate and anger is dead, but that doens't mean I have to celebrate, I don't rejoice. I even find it quite hard to see this as a positive thing. Well done, after a decade of death and horror, you finally managed to kill an old man, who will doubtless be avenged in return.
'Returning hate for hate' took America into Afghanistan, it resulted in thousands of deaths, civilian and otherwise, and I don't think it's hard to argue, with the rampant rise of Islamophobia, that returning hate for hate multiplied hate.
So I'm glad that an evil man is dead, but I'm not about to start celebrating.