Dear Mr. Bin Laden:

I’m not sure how much time Satan will give you for Internet surfing during your stay in hell, but on the off-chance that you get the opportunity to read this, I thought I’d drop you a note to express my sentiments as an ordinary American.

We’re not a perfect nation; yes, we have our issues.  We sometimes bicker about trivial issues while major problems fester.  To outsiders, we may seem immoral and unruly because of the opportunity to self-govern, which does at times manifest itself in peculiar fashions.  Yes, we sometimes overvalue materialism and come across as crass and unsophisticated.  Few of us would deny that we are still a work in progress.

But Mr. Bin Laden, you underestimated us as a collective.  While we may bicker amongst ourselves, sometimes viciously, when our way of life is threatened, we will rally together and defend each other to the death.  We are not Democrats and Republicans; we are Americans.  When someone attacks us, we will protect ourselves, and we will pursue our enemies as far as we have to go.  We are not a weak collaboration of backwards tribes cobbled together to resemble a country.  We are the United States of America, the nation that gave birth to democracy for the world, the nation that turned the tide of WWII, and the nation that stared down the Soviet Union without blinking.  We are the nation of nations, the Great Experiment.

On Sept. 11, 2001, you thought we would fear that a coup was occurring and that pandemonium would erupt across the country, but that’s not how we do things here.  We vote.  We decide who leads us, and if those leaders don’t meet our expectations, we kick them out, not with bloodshed and violence, but with the democratic process.  On 9-11, despite the fear and chaos, we didn’t panic and rip apart at the seams.  We came together, rallied around our flag, and vowed to get you.

Yesterday, we made good on that vow.  Despite a political change at the presidency and two shifts of leadership in the House and a plethora of issues dogging our country, we maintained our resolve, just as we told you we would.  Despite our many flaws, we are still the greatest nation this world has ever known, and I still believe that we, the American people, have the ability to solve all of our problems because of our diversity, our self-governance, our determination, and our spirit that comes from the liberties we share.  To some, those words may seem hollow and empty, but for the vast majority of us in this nation, they have real meaning.

We are the land of the free.  We are the beacon of liberty in this world.  You underestimated us, Mr. Bin Laden, but yesterday, you came face to face with the best we have to offer.  Now, enjoy your time in hell.

Sincerely,

D. A. Adams