Tempered Euphoria

It has been almost eight hours since I learned of the death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of 40 of the best-trained individuals our military has to offer. My sincere congratulations and humble thanks go out to those Navy SEALs for ridding the world of that murdering swine. The world is a much better place without the likes of him.

Nonetheless, let's face it...he won. We've cut the tail off the rattlesnake, but now what remains will strike back somewhere, somehow, and perhaps we won't have the benefit of the "rattle" to warn us.

Their previous acts of terrorism have already done the job, though. Consider:

• Flying commercial used to be a joy, an adventure we could appreciate.
• Remember when checking in for a flight did not include having your checked luggage pass through a million-dollar x-ray machine?
• Would you ever have imagined a time when you, your spouse, your grandmother or your child could be groped by a stranger on the way to your gate in Concourse B?
• Can you believe an expression of disgust with security procedures here in the USA could place you in a TSA shift supervisor's office for interrogation?

We've given up so much freedom as a result of terror attacks and to what end? How many times has the TSA actually done more than confiscate your nail clippers, Bic lighter, little pocket knife or Grandma's knitting needle? We've spent billions of dollars to protect the flying public and what have we gained?

He's won. 

We've killed the "king hornet" and rightfully so, but in doing so we've swatted the hornet's nest. Those angry hornets may unfortunately be the cause of you and I losing even more of our freedoms. If that happens, they've won yet again.