The announcement of Osama bin Laden’s death sent a wave of patriotism across the nation and UC Davis. Bin Laden was the leader of al-Qaeda – the organization allegedly behind the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks that killed over 3,000 Americans.
On Monday afternoon, the Davis College Democrats and Davis College Republicans held a non-partisan, pro-America rally on the Quad in memory of the victims of 9/11.
“Osama bin Laden was killed … and this is to remember 9/11,” said Davis College Republican member Marcus Schibler. “This is just a pro-America rally to say we finally got him.”
ASUCD Senator Eli Yani said he was proud to see an event on campus that was not defined by party lines.
“Theoretically, this should be something that should transcend politics,” Yani said. “It’s bigger than just Republicans and Democrats. It’s about Americans coming together.”
Former ASUCD President Jack Zwald said he was happy it was a non-partisan event in support of the killing of one of the most evil persons of our generation.
The small, peaceful rally started on the quad and marched to Russell Boulevard.
UC Davis religious studies professor Flagg Miller said the killing of bin Laden is a moment for Americans to step back and take relief that the top member of al-Qaeda has been taken out.
“There is a lot of relief and gratitude toward the people for their work on this mission,” Miller said.
– Jason Alpert
Withdrawl isn’t always effective. I advocate abstinence.
Actually, if anyone wishes to debate the sanctity of dear OBL’s life (I certainly don’t care to anymore), there is a discussion elsewhere in the paper:
http://theaggie.org/article/2011/05/03/guest-opinion-uc-davis-response-to-bin-laden
I would be hesitant to make such a link.
I am saddened by the way the last 10 years have turned out, but now the man who provided the impetus, stoked the fires of vengeance and revenge, is dead. We can blame Obama, Bush, or even Clinton as much as we want, but ultimately, who initiated the whole affair? Al Qaeda under Bin Laden. Regardless of the merits (or lack thereof) of invading Iraq, we would not have even been involved in this kind of “War on Terror” had he not attacked us.
If you poke a sleeping bear with a stick, and it mauls the campsite, does not the instigator bear some responsibility?
Perhaps it is wishful thinking, but i’d like to think that this will move us closer to the withdrawal we all seek.
And I agree with your comment RE the writers.
The price of getting Osama Bin Laden: 112,000 innocent Iraqis; 48,000 innocent Afghanis; $1.28 trillion dollars spent on a decade of war. 9/11 killed 3,000 people, we killed upwards of 150,000. Where is the proportionality? To hold a pro-America rally is to celebrate the deaths of those 150,000 people.
Additionally can The Aggie please get writers than can actually write? Last time I checked one sentence didn’t constitute a paragraph. Also quotes should never stand alone.
I do believe that irregardless of our own behavior, extremists will find cause to hate us. After a point, how we conduct ourselves in these affairs is irrelevant; we cannot-nor should we-change our society and values enough to appease them.
Bin Laden himself was an arrogant individual, searching for notoriety and importance. He was shunned by Arab states, as well as other terrorist groups. He hated the US not because we slighted him, or killed Muslims, or anything like that. Ultimately, it was because we removed Hussein from Kuwait, while “his” Mujahadeen were passed over.
This incensed him. We took the glory, he was humiliated, and he spent his life trying to hurt us, and successfully goaded us into a war. Finally, he was important!
And let us not forget that his professed dream, ultimately, was to possess and use nuclear weapons on the United States.
We need to leave Afghanistan, we need to leave Iraq. Those are not to be argued. However, to say that ending the threat, physical or ideological/symbolic, posed by OBL, is somehow trivial, or rude or inhumane? Not the case. Do not celebrate the death of a human being if you do not wish to; celebrate putting down the equivalent of a vicious dog, preying upon the innocent sheep. To say he is a human being implies he retained a shred of humanity. Frankly, he turned that card in long ago.
Instead of celebrating the killing of Bin Laden, there should be a march for peace and total withdrawal from Afghanistan. Extremists in Middle East are looking at the celebrations around the US and that is not good for us and for us, they are gaining more hate.
Whatever you do, please don’t reflect on the fact that you’re celebrating the killing of one mass murderer by another.