No cheering over here

 While Osama Bin Ladens death has brought closure, relief and pleasure to a number of Americans across the country and abroad, it has scared the be-geeses out of me. I've always been confused about my American-ness. The American-ness in me feels like this is where my patriotism should kick in. I mean this is what all my parent's hard work was for right, so I can sing in on 'God Bless America' and wave the flag of the United States of America with confidence and passion. This is the part were I celebrate right?

Not so much. Along with the gift of American citizenship, my parents also gave me 12 years of Catholic education and while as a 21 year old I am not the most righteous of Catholics, I was taught to value human dignity and respect. Almost 10 years later, I can still recount the horrors of September 11th and the fear with which my mother dismissed me and my younger cousins from school but I can not celebrate and it's not a matter of how patriotic or anti-patriotic I am. I've seen cousin after cousin enlist to serve this country. I've seen my parent's hard work and dedication to realizing the American dream for me and my brother. But my American-ness doesn't consist of supporting this.

But it doesnt matter cause "well your not American anyways, that's why"

Very glad to have experienced this in London.