(lee greenwood voice) i'm proud to be an american

“With hands held high
Into a sky so blue,
The ocean opens up
To swallow you.

With hands held high
Into a sky so blue,
The ocean opens up
To swallow you.”

-- “Hands Held High” by Linkin Park.

Unlike most Americans, I was not watching television Sunday night. I actually was watching a movie on Netflix, and after it finished up, I was prepping to shut down the laptop, finish off the bottle of syrah, and hit the sack. And then, at 9:42pm CT, I got a text from “The Voice of Reason” that instantly jolted me wide awake.

“bin laden dead”.

9/11 is personal for me – my college roommate survived it. Spent the night in a gutted building in the complex, and finally managed to walk home to Queens the next day. I won’t relive the day here. It’s still too raw to me. But to those who argue that we shouldn’t gloat over bin ladin’s fortunate passing, or that we shouldn’t celebrate, or rejoice, I have two unedited words to say to you: fuck you. Evil in Our Time met its demise because of four long years of intelligence gathering. This is absolutely a reason to celebrate, to party like its 1999.

No American soldier killed King George III. No Yankee offed Lord Palmerton, or the Kaiser, or Adolf Hitler, or even Saddam Hussein. But one of our boys sent osama bin ladin to an eternity in the eighth layer of Hell itself. And for that, I am grateful, and proud.

I can’t even imagine how sweet that had to be, to look straight into the face of Evil in Our Time, and blow his skull wide open.

Sure, I am beyond hacked that we apparently gave him a “proper Muslim sendoff” … but really, can you beat offing him Sicilian style? Raid the compound, bullets to the head, wrap him in a sheet and tie him anchor and cinder block style and chuck him overboard? (tony bruno voice) beautiful. Even in trying to “dignify” the body’s final disposition, we put him in his place.

My brother was lucky enough to be in DC for a work conference this week. I talked to him last night. I’ve always joked that he’s the lucky one in the family … and man. What I wouldn’t have given to be amongst the flag waving masses screaming “USA! USA! USA!” in front of the White House on Sunday night. What I wouldn’t have given to be among the folks at Ground Zero … like I said, this day is personal to me, thanks to Vineet. I called him yesterday to ask what he thought, and he literally teared up. Couldn’t get three words out without tearing up. So since we both love Linkin Park, I’ll let them speak the thought of the moment:

“With hands held high into a sky so blue.
The ocean opens up to swallow you.”

Rot in hell, bastard. Rot in fucking hell.

(And job well done Team America!!!)