I commemorate the demise of Osama bin Laden as a moment for reflection, remembrance, and prayer. I take pause when witnessing his death as an occasion for festivity, particularly on college campuses. It worries me that future leaders of our country, weaned for 10 years on cultures of war and fear, know no other response.
We must heed the difference between celebrating American triumph in a just cause, and reveling in one man's violent death. As the last decade has shown us, death breeds nothing but more of the same. It was bin Laden, after all, who preached death and hatred, prompting war and retribution, and sewing the seeds of his own downfall.
Great men and women truly committed to justice have taught us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. Thus, as members of a diverse student/alumni community brought together by a Jesuit institution, let us ensure that this historic moment is not perverted by misdirected emotion. Let compassion be the mark of our society, and let us hope that bin Laden's death might bring our world one step closer to peace.
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