Topic 156: Personal Reactions

Carol:

One Wedding and a Funeral

What a weekend. It began with flags waving, cheering and mass celebration. It ended with flags waving, cheering and mass celebration. On the world’s stage, the full gamut of life events captured our attention and aroused a  startling range of emotions and reactions.
 

The weekend began with love. Over 3 billion people watched as a handsome young couple joined their lives with promises and became a symbol of renewal for a somewhat frayed monarchy. As the wedding party stood on the balcony, airplane formations flew overhead, almost drowning out the crowds chanting, “kiss, kiss, kiss.” One little girl was not impressed. Her reaction to the clamor was fresh, unrehearsed and captivating. For a few brief minutes, one scrunched up little face, more pained than pleased, fingers in ears to keep out the noise, stole the show from the fairytale bride and groom. As the wedding party moved inside the Palace, jubilant well-wishers continued to react with strong emotions. “It’s a great day for Britain,” smiled a woman dressed in a hand-made Union Jack costume.
 

The weekend ended with death. Sunday evening the news spread across the world that Osama Bin Laden, the symbol of international terror and hatred of the US, had been killed in Pakistan. First, the news feeds across the bottom of the screen—“Osama is dead.” Then, the interruptions of “Breaking News Coverage” with sober journalists reading hastily prepared and sketchy reports of America’s Number 1 Enemy hiding in plain sight for years, living in luxury in a Pakistani estate, justice finally meted out by an American military mission coordinated with the Pakistani government. Then, the world sat still as President Obama made his live announcement on television, a direct and soberly concise statement capped with the words “Justice has been done.” It didn’t take long for the crowds to wave American flags and chant “USA, USA, USA.” Most of the jubilation came from not-as-sober young people, taking on the exuberance of a “pep rally.” The crowds continued to grow around the White House, filling the streets and Lafayette Park. Roaming journalists captured the moment and the repeated phrase, “It’s a great day to be an American” (source:AP/NBC Washington).
 

Monday morning came and most of us went back to the little events our own lives. In Williamson Valley, Arizona mother and daughter did not write their essays, did not post a cartoon or announcement explaining this week’s “service interruption.”  Mother was too busy getting ready for a presentation to the curriculum committee at the local college’s “life-long learning institute,” a proposal to teach a literature class. Daughter was too busy getting ready for another job interview, a presentation of her own skills and talents to a hiring committee at a local non-profit organization. Our meetings were both at the same time, so we met up later for breakfast to “decompress” and share our reactions with husband and father Marc. I had been surprisingly nervous at my low-stakes presentation.  Megan had felt confident and fairly relaxed at her higher stakes interview. No jubilation or grand moments of emotion, just enough distraction to interrupt the Daily Theme.
 

I’m tired of watching all the reactions to both the wedding and the funeral. Was the second kiss on that balcony more passionate than the first? How much money did the British economy lose by declaring a national holiday? Did they postpone the honeymoon because they were warned about the strike in Pakistan? Will oil prices go up? Is the world a happier and safer place because they got married and he got killed?
 

Whatever our personal reactions to these two events, boredom or delight with the Royals, jubilation or shock about the Terrorist, it was an unforgettable weekend.  How do we capture all those Kodak moments?

Source:
 “Crowds Gather at White House to Cheer Bin Laden’s Death.” AP. NBC Washington online May 2 2011.

Image found here.

Megan:

“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy." - Martin Luther King, Jr  Unknown * Jessica Dovey**

We drew this topic last Friday, before we knew there was going to be an event requiring a reaction. Generally though, it was a big week for current events. From the release of the birth certificate, to the Royal Wedding™, to the execution of Osama Bin Laden… reaction is everywhere.

One of my first thoughts after hearing about bin Laden’s death was that the Royal couple must be relieved. They had their wedding day and all the required accompanying press and attention, and then came pretty much the only thing that could have shifted the story from them. Now they’ll probably get to start out their life as a married couple in relative peace. So, that’s nice for them.

I found out about his death from Facebook, and then switched on the TV to watch the President address the nation. I was distracted by the length of the corridor he walked to reach the podium, and again when he finished. I also realized what a good job Fred Armisen does on SNL in mimicking his speech patterns. And I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t feeling anything close to the way people were reacting on TV and on the Internet. 

The thing is, it’s not that I don’t understand why people are celebrating. They are relieved. But I just don’t feel it. Mostly I just feel tired. It’s been 10 years, my entire adult life so far, with the threat of this man hanging over our heads. His face and name became a symbol around which we united in fear. The power of the symbol was far greater than anything he was capable of as an individual. We claim that he changed the way we travel, the way we speak, the way we use libraries (PATRIOT Act), the way we fight wars… actually no. He did none of that. We changed, our government changed, in reaction to him. But it’s not like those policies and laws are going to revert to pre 9/11 conditions. The death of one man can’t change that. A new threat will rise, because it always does.


* Turns out MLK didn’t say that. It was falsely attributed to him, perhaps to add validity. That being said, I still agree with the sentiment.

Updated to add: 
** Salon.com has identified the original author as Jessica Dovey, who posted on her facebook wall. Screen shot here.