A 9/11 Family Member Reflects On Usama Bin Laden's Death
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Obama's announcement Sunday night that Al Qaeda leader Usama Bin Laden has been killed is a just conclusion to the life of a man who brought so much hate and hurt to America and the world.
This event should be a lesson to other terrorist cowards that seek to harm us and our allies. The lesson is this: if it takes our country 10 minutes or 10 years justice will be done.
America is at our best when we are tested as a nation. Whether tests come from competition in the marketplace, the challenges of innovation and invention, the fight of war or the tragedy of terrorism, America will always prevail.
America's greatness does not come out of arrogance, superiority or the exercise of super power; it comes from our freedom, diversity, education, tolerance, charity, goodness and the rule of law.
September 11, 2011 marks the tenth anniversary of the most horrific terrorist attacks on our homeland in our history.
As we look back at what happened on that terrible day we now at least now have some measure of closure -- and it is this -- that the mastermind of those attacks had been brought to justice by the USA.
On September 11, 2001, I lost my nephew: Senior New York State Court Officer Thomas Jurgens. Tommy was a first responder who died while rescuing people from the south tower of the Trade Center along with fellow NYS Court officer's Captain Harry Thompson and Senior Court Officer Mitch Wallace.
Harry and Mitch died too.
Tommy's remains were never found. The only items of his that were recovered were his mangled badge and melted gun. He was just 26 years old and married only 3 months.
As someone who was a member of George W. Bush's senior staff on September 11, 2001, I can attest, first hand, to the resolve of President Bush and our government to bring those responsible for 9/11 to justice during his tenure.
President Obama and our government deserve a lot of credit for keeping that resolve alive in spite of the time that went by since the attacks and getting Bin Laden once and for all.
I know my nephew is resting more peacefully now that Bin Laden has been brought to justice.
God Bless America!
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bradley A. Blakeman served as deputy assistant to President George W. Bush from 2001-04. He is currently a professor of Politics and Public Policy at Georgetown University and a frequent contributor to Fox News Opinion.