Okay. Your point is very well taken. The man himself, I believe, is dead. However, his vision lives on, in the hearts and minds of those who believe in his vision. As long as Usama lives, his vision lives. Should he die, though, there will always be someone to take his place. Those of our fools in the Western Hemisphere, who pay attention to the anti-American rabble that passes for news (to the tune of incessant cheering by the likes of Al-Jazeera)are apparently lacking in their understanding of this man's vision.
While they go out to buy Ipods, digital cameras, and X-Boxes, the heirs of bin Laden are seeking to destroy their lives, liberties, and persuits of happiness.
It is not important whether or not the man, Usama bin Laden, lives. It is important to realize what he represents, and what those who would follow him would realize, given their way.
To all of our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, thank you. My eyes grow teary to think of your sacrifices. I truly wish I could be there with you. Merry Christmas to all of you, as best you can have it. To you, DevSix, you sound like one who has been there and possibly still are. If so, thank you for your service to our country.
I want you to know that I pay no attention to these fools that tell us to pull out of Iraq. I pay attention to the stories that matter- the ones that tell the truth about the great things that have happened in that country since Hussein was toppled. The sense of freedom. The release from fear. The infrastructural rebuilding that has taken such little time. The new-found hope for Iraqui women,children, and men, not to mention families. The list is countless. I want the American soldier to understand how proud I am.
I also want you to understand that my opinion on bin Laden is not based on sniggering self-righteousness, but upon a firmly-held belief. The man may not live on. But, certainly and with much sorrow, his vision does.
Yeah, but what if we can't believe what we're told:
1) is he actually alive and in custody (good news); or
2) is he actually alive and in a cross-hairs somewhere (also good news); or
3) is he actually dead and al Qaeda knows and we don't (bad news); or
4) is he actually dead and nobody knows (best/worst news, depending on where you sit); or worst yet
5) is he actually dead and "we" know, but nobody else knows and his continued supposed "existence" is being used to perpetuate the War in Iraq...
I tend to trust the Government. But his al-Qaeda stuff has more than a scent of X-Files about it. I'll believe the demise of Osama when I see his head mounted on a pike in Baghdad.