I’m not going to lie, 9/11 is still a sore spot for me. Any time I see a memorial, or a video of the towers collapsing, or hear from a family member who lost someone on that day, I get a little emotional. That’s why hearing about bin Laden’s death last night got me a little more than excited. There was an overwhelming sense of relief that swept through me. 

After I settled down a bit, I began to ask myself: What have we really accomplished?

By no means am I saying his death was not justified; no one man’s death can ever take the place of the thousands he helped to kill. He was a symbol of the Jihad against America. But as of lately, that’s all he’s been: a symbol. He has been almost completely inactive as a leader in the last few years. 

America is far from out of the woods. A poll released today showed that 95% of Americans don’t believe that bin Laden’s death will lessen our likelihood of being targeted by terrorists in the future. We must remain diligent as responsible citizens. Now is the time when we are most vulnerable to attack; we feel invincible and thus may get sloppy. So, in this time of great emotion and of great uncertainty, let’s remember the fact that we are all Americans. We all remember the tragedy of 9/11 and still feel the pain. For just a bit, put politics aside and come together as we did in the days after 9/11. Hopefully, bin Laden’s greatest legacy will be the unity he created in this country.