A Perfect World

Well I can hardly believe that I missed my St. Patrick's Day blog. I guess I've been a little distracted lately. It's coming to the end of another school year, and I'm trying to decide what to do for this next year. Hopefully I'll figure it out before too long.
It came out a couple of days ago that Osama bin Laden was finally captured and killed. Many people here in the USA rejoiced at the news. He has committed such terrible crimes against so many by masterminding the death of a lot of innocent people during the 9/11 attacks. I am glad that he was finally captured so he could be made to stand up for his actions. I suppose he had to pay the ultimate price by having his own life taken.
The day after his death I saw on the news pictures of US citizens celebrating, and while I was glad he could not hurt anyone else, I was also saddened. These conflicting emotions left me confused. I thought about those people who had lost their loved ones and I tried to put myself in their shoes. I did not want to feel sad because such a terrible and evil man had died. So here I was feeling confused and a little unpatriotic when I read a quote my cousin Brittany had put on Facebook.
I was overjoyed when I read the quote because it said what I could not. This life is not perfect and I understand that. In order for me to have the freedoms I enjoy, many people have had to die and I am so thankful for that, but I am not happy that it had to happen. When I see a small child crying over his dead father, it makes me sad, no matter who it is. It makes me wish that there was no reason to have wars. I wish people could set aside their differences and embrace their similarities. Unfortunately this is not a perfect world, and may not be for a long while yet, but there is always hope, and so that is what I will hang on to.

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that"

— Martin Luther King Jr.