The
big news is not that Osama bin Laden is dead. I mean, that is certainly
big news, but a guy in hiding who has a record price tag on his head is
not exactly an effective leader of a revolutionary movement. The big
news, at least by my lights, is that Americans waving flags seem to be
the biggest demonstrations going on. I'm not for one minute
diminishing the success of the American military in tracking down Osama
or the credit the president rightly deserves as commander in chief of
such a mission. Nor have I forgotten that every family who lost a loved
one because of this man deserves a chance at closure. I'm usually
the one who's pointing out that ours is a nation of laws; that we take
revenge in courts, not in secret bunkers; that even in times of war, we
convene tribunals before we employ firing squads. Not here. Osama is
different. Hitler, too. Exceptions make the rule. You prove the next
guy is as bad as they were, and I'll say kill him, too. My first
thought upon hearing the news of the killing was to run through my head
who in my family was flying or was about to. Fear, in other words.
Recognition of the danger that he would be seen as a martyr, that his
execution at the hands of America might re-energize his base, even if
it is dwindling. So far so good, which is, of course, the worst
thing you can say about terrorism. Vigilance. But -- knock on wood,
keep the evil eye away and all -- so far so good in the Muslim world. Yes,
there is the familiar picture held high in a pro-Taliban demonstration.
But the big talk is about the anti-government movements spreading
through the Middle East and North Africa, most recently in Libya with
American and French air support. The bin Laden message of jihad against
the United States rings a little hollow when the issues people are
talking about are jobs and freedom, and American planes are bombing
government positions -- which is not to say we are safe. I grew up
being afraid of the Soviet Union. We had bomb shelters in the school
basement, as if they would save us from nuclear fallout. I can't say
that I look back fondly on the Cold War, but it was a different kind of
fear from the one I've felt over the past 10 years. How many bin Laden
followers does it take to bomb a cafe or a bus stop or far worse? How
many crazy people does it take to terrify a nation? The reason acts
of "terrorism" are deserving of the worst punishment is that they not
only take lives, but they also tear at the very fabric of our society.
Years ago, I studied fear of crime and, as did other researchers, came
to the not so surprising conclusion that "fear of crime" took a greater
toll on society than crime itself. Terrorism lives on fear and
breeds it. You cannot give in to it. But you would be hard-pressed not
to worry about it, especially because no one is telling you that there
is an air-raid alarm and when it goes off, everybody goes down to the
basement where their parents will somehow magically find them when the
nuclear attack is over. Osama is dead. We tracked him and found him.
We are helping the people in the Muslim world fight for democracy and
basic rights. There are still scary and dangerous and evil people in
the world, who don't value the lives of anyone. But today, at least,
there is one fewer, and the world is certainly a better place for that.
To
find out more about Susan Estrich and read features by other Creators
Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website
at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM
