Mount Vernon Residents React to bin Laden's Death

September 11, 2001 is a day that many Americans clearly recall as the day when our sense of security was shaken.

I was just beginning my sophomore year at Bellport High School on Long Island. September 11 began as an ordinary Tuesday; it was picture day and I was excited to get it over with during second period global history class. We began to realize that something was amiss when the photographers packed up their equipment after snapping their last student portrait. We returned to the classroom and our teacher turned on CNN, where we saw the plane hit the first tower. A sense of panic could be felt in the halls and in classrooms throughout the rest of the day as teachers tried to shield us from the news. I managed to sneak onto Yahoo! News during my fifth period typing class and was shocked and worried about my brother, who lived near the Pentagon, and my dad, who made frequent trips into the city. When my dad picked me up from school later that day, I felt incredibly relieved. My sister and I watched local news coverage until my mother got home from work. When our country went to war, I was hopeful that the military would catch bin Laden. 

Last night, President Obama made the announcement that Osama bin Laden was killed by military forces overseas. In true Patch fashion, I asked fans of the Mount Vernon Patch Facebook page to tell us their thoughts. 

Many people expressed their gratitude and support for our nation's armed forces.

Don Carr wrote: "Thank you to the members of our nation's military and national defense communities who serve in defense of our nation. Remember that our forces remain deployed throughout the world. Keep them and their families in your thoughts."

Ashley McNeff Behrens wrote:  "I hope credit is given where credit is due....to our armed services and the countless counterintelligence professionals who worked tirelessly over the past ten years to make this happen....they are the true heroes."

Others were glad that bin Laden wasn't going to get a trial. Jeanette Kraynak wrote: "I glad he isn't getting a trial. There was talk he would've received US Constitutional Protection if taken alive. He didn't deserve it."

What do you think of President Obama's announcement that bin Laden was killed? How were you affected by 9/11? Leave a comment on our Facebook page.