The Death of Bin Laden a Week Later

One week ago at around this time, we all turned to the TV to watch an historic moment happen: the announcement that Bin Laden was dead.

My husband and I were wrapping up our time in downtown Chicago for a conference. We socializing with some of our friends at Hoyt's in Hotel 71.

We were enjoying some drinks while talking about business growth, book publishing, social media and more. Suddenly we looked up and saw the President addressing the nation, with the words scrolling across the bottom that Osama Bin Laden had been killed in a nighttime raid.

I was taken aback when I realized what I was seeing! I also immediately felt pride that justice had been served. It was news I didn't think I would ever hear.

In the week that followed, the news dominated my radio show. We debated whether the death photo should or should not be shown. I had a local pediatrician on to talk about how parents should talk with their kids about the gruesome photo should it be released (he recommended being careful of your reaction, because kids mimic you).

I spoke with many experts like:

• Former Chief of the CIA's Bin Laden Unit Mike Scheuer.
  
  
• Author, internationally recognized security, terrorism , and intelligence expert Kerry Patton.
  
  
• Retired Admiral, Naval Commander, Former Operations Planner On The Joint Staff Admiral John Stufflebeem.

It was my first big news week as a radio talk show host and I was exhausted by Friday. But that exhaustion was nothing like the emotional drain as the day I was on the air on 9/11. I was coming in for my midday shift on a music station when the attacks had just occurred. We were all gathered in the DJ booth watching the news in shock. We pulled it together and went wall-to-wall news. Our radio group organized a donation drive. When I got off the air at 2pm, I broadcast live from the Assembly Hall in Champaign where people in our community didn't stop coming with donations to the Red Cross for the victims & their families well into the night. I'd never had a day where I felt so much grief, yet also felt so much hope because everyone came together to help as best they could.

I watched tonight as the President was interviewed on 60 Minutes where he said "Justice was done." Amen Mr. President and bless you, your team, and our special forces who carried out this mission.