Osama bin Laden dead

Last night I got word that US forces killed Osama bin Laden. We watched the televised speech given by US President Obama and the resulting reaction. Crowds gathered along Pennsylvania Avenue and Ground Zero to celebrate. Details trickled in but we decided to skip them, opting to hear more concise reports later in the week.

Hopefully, all that jubilation won't blind people to the fact that very violent groups continue to organize and will continue to find ways to disrupt our lives. In short, bin Laden's death is not the end of the problem. Other people may take his place in al qaeda. Other will create their own groups.

Obviously we can't get at the roots of all the things which incite these people. However, we should pay attention to those that we can get to. Political and economic problems are the root of the insurgencies in this country. Just because insurgents have a different point of view does not mean their complaints are invalid. If those are addressed and they still insist on violence then it should be obvious their goals lie elsewhere.