Canaries taking out Osama

I’m not a violent person. I don’t believe in the death penalty, and I’m a far cry from a gun owner. With that being said, when the U.S. sent in Navy Seals to assassinate Osama Bin Laden, I found myself at a crossroads. I do believe that Bin Laden’s death will result in the lives of many saved. I also believe that by eliminating Osama, plans for future terror attacks against the U.S. and other nations, both Islamic and western alike, were stymied. But playing God scares me. Though my own opinions on radical Islam, Bin Laden, and the United State’s fight against terror are quite versed and targeted, that isn't what this article is about. This article is about what Zero Dark Thirty made me feel after finally watching it.

The first thing I felt was sadness at how hard the main CIA operative, as a woman, had to work just to be heard. Though her leads and incite were sound, it took radical action just to be given the time of day. This shed a bright light on modern day politics for women in the United States, and the struggles which they face.

On top of civil right issues, the film further emphasized how important travel is to understanding. While many people around the world only know Middle Eastern and Islamic culture from biased news sources, the fact is, the parts of the world the U.S. have dubbed “terrorists,” are vibrant regions with long histories and beautiful cultures. The shots in the film of hectic roads and market places in Pakistan, with people dressed in bright colors and sipping tea, made visiting Pakistan even more appealing to me. Sure, their government has some issues and parts of the country are dangerous, but those are exact phrases I use for my homeland. Visiting new places helps us understand fellow inhabitants of a shared globe.

For me, traveling is a way to humanize people, especially those in cultures we don’t fully understand. Humanizing and understanding is the basis of diplomacy, and diplomacy is the antithesis of war. Zero Dark Thirty may be a film about negative aspects of humanity, but there are positive messages depending on the lens in which you view the film. 

Image courtesy of Oriental Review