Upon the announcement of the death of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden late Sunday night, our nation erupted into celebration of a victory long overdue. Large crowds immediately gathered outside the White House and at ground zero in New York to commemorate the occasion, whether by burning candles, waving flags or spraying champagne.
The political impact and implications of the leader’s demise are indeed immense, especially given the revolutionary atmosphere currently sprawling across the Middle East. The 2011 Arab Spring revolutions gave rise to a new threat for the extremist culture perpetuated by al-Qaida: moderation.
While al-Qaida has encouraged Islamist revolutions for years, the revolutions finally came but at the hands of moderates hoping for basic rights, freedom and representation rather than Iranian-style theocracies.
This small but personal victory only enforces the message sent by the protesters region-wide, which is that the days of the extremists are numbered. Improved quality of life paired with renewed freedoms in the Arab world will undoubtedly diminish the population of civilians who resort to violence rather than the political process.
But while we celebrate the defeat of a sworn enemy, revelry is only the first phase. As the excitement subsides, it is sure to be replaced by apprehension and preparation.
We must not forget the scores of al-Qaida leaders remaining to be dealt with, as bin Laden had many leaders beneath him and is sure to be replaced promptly. The BBC has already published a list of 17 remaining al-Qaida leaders left to be subdued, ranging from clerics to bomb-makers.
Among the most important remaining is Ayman al-Zawahri, al-Qaida’s second-in-command who many call the brains behind the organization.
Politicians in Afghanistan have already made statements warning the U.S. and United Nations not to see bin Laden’s death as victory against al-Qaida.
A former interior minister in Afghanistan warned that bin Laden’s death “should not be used as justification for premature withdrawal.”
Calls for retaliation have already rung from the remaining al-Qaida and Taliban members, which promise to “avenge the killing of the Sheik of Islam,” according to an Associated Press report Monday.
The U.S. has also issued warnings for travelers and embassies abroad on account of “enhanced potential for anti-American violence.”
And the repercussions of Osama bin Laden’s defeat have already begun, perhaps even here on campus. The morning after President Barack Obama made bin Laden’s death known to the public, the American flag flying over the War Memorial on the Parade Ground was found to have been cut down and burned.
The intent of the perpetrators is as of yet unproven, but the blatantly dangerous and unpatriotic implications of such a crime seem beyond the capacity of your average trouble-maker looking to instigate discord.
Students in the ROTC program were subsequently briefed Monday morning that “everyone in uniform is a target” in light of the flag-burning, evidencing suspicion of anti-American activity on campus, according to an anonymous source within the ROTC.
Perhaps the most interesting responses to the killing have been from students. While Facebook feeds overflow with patriotic rhetoric, some have shown mixed sentiments upon the celebration of bin Laden’s death — many are reluctant to welcome death so jubilantly.
In response to such feelings, I say our happiness for bin Laden’s demise should come as remorselessly as the deaths of countless innocent men, women and children once came to the man himself. The fact remains that he was a declared enemy not only of our country and culture but of all moderate human beings, and he was an evil man by all rational measures.
Because of his death, more families will remain intact worldwide and the cause for an end to violent extremism may persist.
The world is a better place now that Osama bin Laden is dead, and for this reason above all, we celebrate.
 
Clayton Crockett is a 19-year-old international studies freshman from Lafayette. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_ccrockett.
 
Contact Clayton Crockett at [email protected]