Blog: Living in a Post-bin Laden Era

When you think about it, it is horrifying. Obama knew. He knew the U.S. was going to kill Osama bin Laden. He knew Americans would develop a sense of safety they hadn’t had in nearly a decade. He knew he had opened the door. The next few weeks will be telling for Obama. In the eyes of many Americans, he has done everything right. 

And that isn’t the scary part. When I saw how America reacted to bin Laden’s death on the internet and in public, I realized we had subconsciously put him in the driver’s seat. We took the victory only after bin Laden’s life was taken. It was a momentous occasion, yes, but it didn’t turn into an appropriate time to chant “USA! USA! USA!” The reaction is astounding, and only shows how much of a hold bin Laden had on us. Not only are we putting a target on our backs, but we are also only now recognizing how inspiring it is that our country stands up for its core values.

A different man is in the driver’s seat. Obama’s leadership has empowered the presidency and introduced a world of possibilities. Obama can increase troop presence in the Middle East. Obama can pull out a huge percentage of the troops. Obama can declare the War on Terror over. Obama can even institute more of his domestic goals with ease. All because of bin Laden. There is an unexplainable trait that Obama now possesses. He found the man called America’s number one enemy, and killed him. Obama showed us that we weren’t a David going against a Goliath. It just might take awhile for us to get there.

The time has come for us, the American people to lead. We are the ones that control how bin Laden’s death with ultimately impact America domestically. We can choose to celebrate a cause we need not dwell on for too long or we can move on to bigger battles. We can choose our path. So let’s choose wisely. Let’s choose the path with a promising future. Let’s pick the path where we are in the driver’s seat.