A Rare Moment of Unity
By Brother Rogers
We all woke up Monday morning to news we’ve been waiting to hear for nearly 10 years. Osama bin Laden is dead – killed by special forces of the U.S. military in a daring midnight raid on a secret compound in Pakistan. This news came on the heels of the deadliest tornado outbreak in decades, especially in Alabama and Mississippi.
What possible connection could these two disparate events have – one a cause for nationwide celebration and the other a national calamity? The common thread is that both events have brought Americans together.
Even if it is only for a brief interlude, it’s worth noting how Americans have joined together. When President Obama announced the news of bin Laden’s death, spontaneous patriotic eruptions occurred across America.
The Phillies-Mets baseball game on ESPN showed a crowd chanting U-S-A in unison. Students flocked to the White House for an impromptu patriotic demonstration of flag waving near President Obama’s doorstep. Celebrations broke out Monday in Manhattan near Ground Zero.
Army Captain Carter Cheek, a Starkville native who is on leave from two tours of duty in Afghanistan, led the singing of the national anthem outside former President George W. Bush’s gated neighborhood in Dallas early Monday.
Tea Party conservatives and NPR liberals all agreed it was a proud day for America. Fox News correspondents acknowledged it was a successful accomplishment for President Obama, and Democratic leaders credited the steadfastness of former President Bush.
On Sunday there was another joining together of a different kind. This time it was government officials – Republican and Democrat – pledging to cut through red tape and speed assistance to those affected by the terrible tornadoes. Live on CSPAN, there was Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour in Smithville standing shoulder to shoulder with President Obama’s Secretary for Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Later in Alabama, Republican U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions and Democratic Congresswoman Terri Sewell were side by side working together.
The national president of the American Red Cross, who also made the trip to affected areas, said she had never seen local, state, and federal cooperation quite to the degree she was witnessing.
The killing of bin Laden will not end the threat of terrorism. The CIA chief has predicted there will be reprisals by al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The State Department already has warned Americans traveling overseas to be alert and vigilant.
The recovery from the storms will take more than words from politicians to ease the pain, heal the hurt, and start the rebuilding process.
But right now, in this moment, before we go back to the divisive vitriol that defines modern America, it’s nice to note a unique time of unity. America still is a place where neighbors help neighbors. It’s still a place where strangers care about the welfare of others. And despite our many political differences, it’s still a place where outsiders who try to divide us have to learn the hard way that you don’t mess with America and get away with it.
Brother Rogers is a guest columnist for the Starkville Daily News and works for the Stennis Center for Public Service.
We all woke up Monday morning to news we’ve been waiting to hear for nearly 10 years. Osama bin Laden is dead – killed by special forces of the U.S. military in a daring midnight raid on a secret compound in Pakistan. This news came on the heels of the deadliest tornado outbreak in decades, especially in Alabama and Mississippi.
What possible connection could these two disparate events have – one a cause for nationwide celebration and the other a national calamity? The common thread is that both events have brought Americans together.
Even if it is only for a brief interlude, it’s worth noting how Americans have joined together. When President Obama announced the news of bin Laden’s death, spontaneous patriotic eruptions occurred across America.
The Phillies-Mets baseball game on ESPN showed a crowd chanting U-S-A in unison. Students flocked to the White House for an impromptu patriotic demonstration of flag waving near President Obama’s doorstep. Celebrations broke out Monday in Manhattan near Ground Zero.
Army Captain Carter Cheek, a Starkville native who is on leave from two tours of duty in Afghanistan, led the singing of the national anthem outside former President George W. Bush’s gated neighborhood in Dallas early Monday.
Tea Party conservatives and NPR liberals all agreed it was a proud day for America. Fox News correspondents acknowledged it was a successful accomplishment for President Obama, and Democratic leaders credited the steadfastness of former President Bush.
On Sunday there was another joining together of a different kind. This time it was government officials – Republican and Democrat – pledging to cut through red tape and speed assistance to those affected by the terrible tornadoes. Live on CSPAN, there was Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour in Smithville standing shoulder to shoulder with President Obama’s Secretary for Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Later in Alabama, Republican U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions and Democratic Congresswoman Terri Sewell were side by side working together.
The national president of the American Red Cross, who also made the trip to affected areas, said she had never seen local, state, and federal cooperation quite to the degree she was witnessing.
The killing of bin Laden will not end the threat of terrorism. The CIA chief has predicted there will be reprisals by al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The State Department already has warned Americans traveling overseas to be alert and vigilant.
The recovery from the storms will take more than words from politicians to ease the pain, heal the hurt, and start the rebuilding process.
But right now, in this moment, before we go back to the divisive vitriol that defines modern America, it’s nice to note a unique time of unity. America still is a place where neighbors help neighbors. It’s still a place where strangers care about the welfare of others. And despite our many political differences, it’s still a place where outsiders who try to divide us have to learn the hard way that you don’t mess with America and get away with it.
Brother Rogers is a guest columnist for the Starkville Daily News and works for the Stennis Center for Public Service.