Mr. President, thank you.

The America you talk about is the one I want, where we are united and relentless in our quest for our people to be free and equal, for justice to be served, for diversity to be embraced as the root of our power instead of a fracturing weakness.

An America where we forge partnerships with foreign governments, where we are careful to avoid civilian casualties, where we remember which generation of Americans suffers for our wars, when we remind ourselves of all the people worldwide we are united with, all the people who are not our enemies.

Thank you, Mr. President, for when I feel proud to be an American instead of proud* with caveats.

I think I should maybe feel more conflicted about this as a peacenik unitarian hippie, but I'm kind of Rah Rah Team USA on this one (for anyone who hasn't heard - we found Osama bin Laden and killed him, and he's really actually for complete real dead now). I hope that some unity can come from this and that we are closer to getting the fuck out of Afghanistan putting this phenomenally ugly chapter of our nation's history to rest.

Those hopey changey feelings I had in 2008 are coming back strong, you guys.