PA
Osama Bin Laden is dead.
My twins were just beginning to crawl when the shocking images of 9/11 reverberated around the world, over 3000 people killed in the most unimaginable way.
Now they are nearly 11. They have lived almost their entire lives in the shadow of Bin Laden sponsored terrorism.
This evening we watched the news together. They wanted to; I thought they should.
I'm not naive enough to believe this marks the end of an era, that there won't be more impressionable young martyrs eager to commemorate his death with their own; but nevertheless his death is important.
What I hadn't expected was to feel so uncomfortable as the scenes of jubilation and triumphalism from outside the White House and at Ground Zero appeared on our screen.
As the news swept on, I explained how important it was to not let anger and bitterness rule your life. Their dad explained how taking the law into your own hands is not the best way.
A woman whose husband had been killed said she wished his death was as horrific and terrifying as her husband's must have been. A man whose brother had been killed in the London bombings was interviewed at home. He said this was the happiest day he'd had since.
I cannot imagine what these people have been through. But I do know that I don't want my sons believing it is right to glorify death, that revenge can make you happy, that 'justice' comes from killing. Yes, Osama Bin Laden was a 'baddie', but the US forces who killed him aren't the good guys riding in John Wayne style.
Do you share this unease?
How have you explained the news to your children?
Or are you waiting until, or if, they ask?