Death Certificate
I had planned to write a mini-diatribe about why I did not at all enjoy Dead Prez’ song and video “The Beauty Within” (a “response” to Bruno Mars’ “Nothing on You”) that was released late last week. However, I’ve decided to abandon a hate-filled monologue on something asinine, and be a more mindful blogger by saying a word or two about what happened last night. I’ll save that hate for next week.Because I don’t watch the news, I heard about the killing of Osama Bin Laden via Twitter and, frankly, Andy Cohen…because I had just finished watching the last half-hour of The Real Housewives of Orange County #noshame. I didn’t stay on Twitter long. The jokes being shared were just too much for me. I just don’t find the violent death of anyone–and yes, we’ll just assume this news is true for the moment–a reason to celebrate and/or joke. Seriously, folks, this is why they hate us.
And I guess Obama is having the best week ever because everyone has seen his birth certificate and he finished the job Dubya couldn’t. “I killed Bin Laden,” though not very catchy, will be a sufficient campaign slogan, right? And that’s pretty much the significance of this news for me–part of a steady platform for a political campaign. Gas prices will not decrease. The wars waged have not been “won.” Thousands of people not named Osama Bin Laden have been killed or injured in the quest of preserving freedom or whatever phrase we are currently fooling ourselves with. The deaths of those who died on 9/11 have neither been honored or avenged. Poor, black and brown folks will continue to be deployed and charged with destroying the lives of other black and brown people.
Shame on those who celebrated in front of the White House or anywhere else for that matter. This is not a point for Team America. We should not relish those “victories” that seek to continue world dominance. This War on Terror, if you will, did not end last night, and it won’t end tonight or even tomorrow night. The Islamaphobia running rampant in American culture was not countered by this (alleged) burial at sea. Celebrating Bin Laden’s death proves that we have learned nothing in the last decade. Hell, we’ve learned nothing (ok, very little) since 1776.
We still have such a dichotomous vision of the world. Right and wrong. Good and evil. We should check our HDTV flatscreen televisions; Last night yet again proved that they still broadcast in black and white.