Albie's Place delivery woman Irmastene Clark, 21, returns from a delivery as a sign in front of the restaurant offers free drinks in celebration of Osama Bin Laden's death, Monday, May 2, 2011, in Columbia, South Carolina. (C. Aluka Berry/The State/MCT)
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Students voiced their opinions about the death of Osama bin Laden.
The Collegiate Times asked what your reactions were to last night’s news that bin Laden has been killed.
“It made me happy because a lot of people have been suffering and a lot of families have lost loved ones. It’s great for our country.”
-Amanda Gerhard, junior biology major
“It’s so hard to believe that it’s been so long since the war started — almost unbelievable. And it made history as we watched the news last night.”
-Kelly Conheeney, sophomore communication major
“I’m happy, but nobody should celebrate a death.”
-Ryan Speer, freshman chemistry major
“It was a shock. It took 10 years, so nobody expected it. It came out of the blue.”
-Alicia Shankle, junior biology major
“I think it’s great. I’m not in any way a supporter of people killing each other, but there’s a few people who need to die. It will be great for the morale for the troops, and it’s great for Obama.”
-Emma Schmidt, freshman English major
“I was pretty excited. I’m a patriot. I live in Oak Lane, and all the fraternity boys were running around chanting, ‘USA!’ It made me feel really patriotic.”
-Julie Huff, senior chemical engineering major
“I thought it was a big deal, but the media are focusing on it maybe too much.”
-Teja Chiluvuri, freshman engineering major
“I was pretty happy. I wish I was home in D.C. to celebrate, but I heard the fireworks going off and people honking their horns.”
-Sarah Kilbourne, senior communication and French major
“It happened fast. I have mixed feelings. It took a long time to find one person.”
-Brice Collamer, junior mechanical engineering major
“I’m proud to be an American.”
-Mike Lukhard, junior mechanical engineering major
“I’m glad it happened, but I’m wondering if it will actually change anything, or make it worse.”
-Will Vatis, junior mechanical engineering major
“I think a lot of people are taking their reactions to the extreme.”
-Joe Angles, senior industrial and systems engineering major
“I guess it’s good. I think people are over-celebrating with the rioting and fireworks. When we celebrate someone’s death, no matter how evil they were, we’re no better than people who celebrated on the other side of the earth when the Twin Towers went down.”
-Rachel Adell, sophomore humanities, science and environment major
“Justice was served.”
-Mohammed Tanvir, freshman computer science major
“Revenge.”
-Tyler Leskanic, freshman construction engineering major
“I was apathetic. My roommate woke me up, and at first I thought it was another tornado or hurricane. He’s so evil, so I guess it’s okay. But it seems really egotistical. You’re waving flags over what? Will all the problems in the Middle East go away because one man is dead? It reminds me of how people celebrate if your team wins.”
-Bryce Wilson Stucki, senior math and economy major
“Relieved would be the best word.”
-Christopher Royer, sophomore economy major
A version of this article appeared in the May 3 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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Posting a picture that says free drinks all day, and then stating that it's in South Carolina is dangerous and irresponsible. Get your act together.
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Agreed. That's a very irresponsible picture.
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Glad to see no one commented on what it meant to men and women in the armed forces.
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why does that matter, it was a select few who took care of it.
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It amazes me how people are reacting to this, especially the quotes used at the top of the paper this morning. Are we really taking our reactions to the extreme? Are we no better than the people who celebrated when the Twin Towers collapsed?
No, we are not taking our reactions to the extreme. In my opinion, we haven't done enough. This is reason for celebration! Our troops just killed the most wanted man in the world who we have been trying to kill for 10 years, and after one single day people think we are already taking our reactions to the extreme? I'll pick up your slack, because I'll be celebrating for weeks.
Are we no better than those who celebrated the Twin Towers falling for celebrating the fact we just killed THE terrorist of all terrorists? I can't fathom that someone would even make this claim! Osama bin Laden tortured women, children, and innocent people. We have done good for the world as a whole by killing this man.
If anything, this should remind everyone of this great country we live in. We are blessed beyond belief compared to the people in the Middle East who lived in fear every single day because of this man. While there is no doubt terrorists still have a stronghold on many parts of the Middle East, we have just killed the kingpin and cornerstone of it all! We should be proud!
Reacting extreme? I don't think so.
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I think it was tasteless when Middle-Easterners publicly celebrated 9/11 and I think it is tasteless now to publicly celebrate Osama's death. Think about how you felt when you saw that footage on TV in 2001: you probably thought the celebrators were horrible people for feeling so good about a loss of innocent life. Osama's death isn't exactly the same (he certainly wasn't innocent) but I think it's just as horrible to make a celebration out of his death. Regardless of what he did or orchestrated, it is shameful to party over a loss of life (even if it is overall a good thing for you or your country).
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Tasteless? Tasteless is when you swear around small children or something. You think people celebrating in the streets over the death of thousands of innocent Americans is "tasteless"? Understatement of the century. How can you possibly put those people in the same category as those of us who choose to publicly celebrate the death of Osama? He was a mass murderer of thousands of innocent people around the world. We have every right and every reason to celebrate. In fact, we should all be elated. Obviously we all have the right to celebrate or not celebrate, but those of us who choose to should never be categorized with the same animals that celebrate the loss of thousands of innocent lives.
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What you idiots don't realize is that maybe only 1% of the population is celebrating the actual KILLING of bin Laden. Are you all too stupid to believe that, had bin Laden been CAPTURED instead of killed, we wouldn't STILL be celebrating?
"Oh, they caught bin Laden? Meh, I don't care. Let me know if he gets shot in the head, hurf durf."
Honestly, the only reason people care is because he can no longer kill people. THAT'S what they're celebrating, you imbeciles.
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I think it's tasteless to celebrate someone's death by partying in the streets, regardless of who it was or what they meant to our country. On some level I had some general positive reaction to the news because it is such a big deal for America. However, I was ashamed to hear about the goings-on like couch burning and firework shootings-off on Sunday night because they make Osama's death feel like a celebration instead of a necessary if unsavory action of our military. Yesterday I was sitting on the drillfield and heard those guys driving around blasting Toby Keith and waving American flags out their windows (if you were on campus, you know who I'm talking about) and I felt ashamed to be associated with them.
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I feel proud to be part of the country that took down the most wanted terrorist in the world, and I am proud that people were excited about this news, I am happy that the real Americans were proud to wave their countries flag on the drillfeild.
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he ain't lyin'! durp durp amurrca!
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Read your Bible. I am not proud of this country.
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The Bible has more celebrations over mass murder than any other book in history. Why don't YOU read your Bible?
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04/05/25/2011 A.D. I DONT CARE IF OBL DESERVED TO BE KILLED OR NOT,I DONT CARE HOW MANY OUT THERE CELEBRATE HIS DEATH,I DONT CARE IF YOU CALL IT JUSTICE.THE DEATH OF ONE INDIVIDUAL DOES NOT SIGNAL THE DEATH OF AN IDEA-BOTH AL-QAEDA AND THE TALIBAN ARE NOT GOING AWAY ANYTIME SOON-OSAMA BIN LADEN WAS NOT THE FIRST TERRORIST,NOR SHALL HE BE THE LAST.SOONER OR LATER SOMEONE ELSE WILL SURELY PICK UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF-WAKE UP TO REALITY,WERE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET.
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In these comments, we have people who are upset that Osama bin Laden can't continue his career of mass murder. I know this because his inability to continue murdering people is the only thing that people are celebrating, and these idiots don't like that.
Anyone who thinks people are celebrating the killing and ignoring the whole bin-Laden-can't-murder-anymore thing are just retarded. Nobody cares that he was killed. If he was put into prison for life, people would still be celebrating.
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I think it's horrible. If a person is glad that someone is dead (even it's his worst enemy) is a... very bad person :/
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I think it's horrible that some people think confessed mass murderers deserve to be treated with the same respect as anybody else. Your opinion is worthless because you have no respect for good people.
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9/11 can't be expressed in words. I was at the WTC, I saw the planes hit, I lost dear friends.
Ash and the smell of burned bodies, plastics, fuel, cement and steel permeated my home for
months after. Christmas still meant wiping the 'white dust' from my window sills and furniture. As a personally tangible experience I first believe most Americans have no idea what "it was like" nor do I wish that on anyone. However, I do understand the sense of loss we all felt - but that does not excuse any of us for not behaving with dignity. Personally, I'm glad President Obama, President Bush and our vastly complex network of intelligence and military personnel achieved the goal of the mission. I wish they'd use this same method on the remaining "checklist" of Al Queda leaders. Let's get it over with and let's send a message.
That, however, does not give us any right to party in the streets with free drinks. This is not a super bowl, or a lottery, or an Olympic victory. We must conduct ourselves with dignity - flagrant and gross behaviour only will bring another nut case to the surface to pick up where he left off. A sense of justice, yes. Relief, yes. Pride, yes. Victory, yes. But I can't imagine my friends and colleagues, dead 10 years now, would be popping a beer in a bar celebrating.
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Here, ladies and gentleman, we have a person who would be unfazed had someone shot Cho before he could kill 32 people. We have here someone who would not shake the hands of the passengers on the fourth plane on 9/11 who fought the hijackers and crash-landed it, to prevent more death and destruction.
We have someone here who obviously doesn't think that stopping someone on a killing spree is something worth celebrating.
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Assassination is not justice.
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What is justice? Giving a "fair trial" to a man who publicly took credit for the murder of over 3,000 innocent people, bragging about it? A "fair trial" would have resulted in the same outcome.
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And it would have actually been American. This is America. You know, "liberty and justice for all". What gives the President the right to be judge, jury and executioner? What other individuals is he doing to do this for? If we can't stay true to our values and Constitution for the worst possible criminal, we've given it all up. Saddam even managed to have an actual trial and execution.
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"Saddam even managed to have an actual trial and execution."
And you'll notice it was quick and he was immediately executed, lol.
Anyways, in America, we're allowed to judge and kill someone if they fight back during a war zone.
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At 1st I was jubilant and excited. Then I realized that celebrating the death of a symbolic terrorist like OBL makes us no different from the people who celebrated when they killed Americans in the grand scheme of things. The pendulum can swing both ways with this situation. One side is this will ignite even more young and frail souls to be convinced to become a martyr and give their lives for a cause that will cause more harm to not only the US but to other modernized countries. I see it as weeds or a drug cartel, when you cut the head off, others will sprout out. On the other side by killing OBL, this will create a ripple effect throughout terrorist groups to scale back for the time being, but you and I know it won't stop them. This seems, unfortunately, to be a vicious circle that will never end. I don't oppose free drinks or people being patriotic by driving around waving the American flag because they have a right to do that, and that is what makes this country Great.
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"Then I realized that celebrating the death of a symbolic terrorist like OBL makes us no different from the people who celebrated when they killed Americans in the grand scheme of things."
So you think that "innocent Americans" can be substituted with "symbolic terrorists like OBL". At least we know where YOUR loyalties lie...
I hope you never say such a thing to the families of those killed on 9/11.
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At 1st I was jubilant and excited. Then I realized that celebrating the death of a symbolic terrorist like OBL makes us no different from the people who celebrated when they killed Americans in the grand scheme of things. The pendulum can swing both ways with this situation. One side is this will ignite even more young and frail souls to be convinced to become a martyr and give their lives for a cause that will cause more harm to not only the US but to other modernized countries. I see it as weeds or a drug cartel, when you cut the head off, others will sprout out. On the other side by killing OBL, this will create a ripple effect throughout terrorist groups to scale back for the time being, but you and I know it won't stop them. This seems, unfortunately, to be a vicious circle that will never end. I don't oppose free drinks or people being patriotic by driving around waving the American flag because they have a right to do that, and that is what makes this country Great.
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I completely agree that the celebrators have a RIGHT to do their thing; I certainly don't think they should be stopped by the police or anything like that. I just wish they could show some restraint and dignity (probably the best word to use in this situation) when responding to the situation.
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To you, dignity = ignoring the fact that a confessed mass murderer can no longer murder people. Sounds like stupidity, to me.
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