While eating breakfast one morning, I turned on CNN to hear the news that Osama Bin Laden had been shot dead by US special forces. I felt an immediate sense of relief and it nearly brought a tear to my eye as I realized the incredible closure that would bring for so many affected by the tragedy ten years ago.
I had to teach later that morning and one student asked if I had heard the news. I told him I had and that I almost cried when I heard the news. He responded by asking "You're HAPPY a man was killed?" I was so taken aback and didn't know how to respond. Of course, I wasn't "happy," so I took a breath and explained as diplomatically as possible that thousands of Americans lost their mothers, sons, brothers and friends in 2001 and this is something we've waited for for ten years. The students just shook their heads in disbelief that I was okay with how the situation was handled by the military.
In Germany, capital punishment was abolished many, many years ago and the general mentality here is that there's no justifiable reason to take anyone's life...even that of an enemy. Some Americans certainly feel that way as well, but I would say the most common opinion in America is that one murder doesn't deserve the death penalty, while a planned mass murder, such as what happened on 9/11, is justifiable.
So I described that perspective to the students and explained that we still have the death penalty. They still didn't budge and had a very judgmental look on their faces as if we are WAY behind the times.
While most folks here are not too moved by the news, a few German folks I know said things like, "Oh thanks, USA. Now Germany has to ramp up security in fear of retaliation too, since we've been on your side this whole time."
I think it's interesting that no one here has said "good job, US" or "it's about time," which seems to be the general sentiments from home (based on the FB posts I'm reading).
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