Everything has changed. Or nothing.

But I'm not sure which.

In the wake of the stunning announcement of Osama bin Laden's death, I have been at a loss to describe how I'm thinking or feeling. Many other people seem to know exactly what they are feeling.

Last night, it was hundreds of people cheering, waving flags, dancing, and celebrating joyously. This morning, it was the backlash of dozens of articles condemning those who celebrated, and insisting that the war on terror is not over just because one man died. "Nothing has changed!" they say. "We are just as bad as the people who celebrated 9/11!"

And both of those reactions bother me.

Dancing in the streets did seem an odd reaction. A person was shot and killed. This was an action that is just as likely to inspire violence as it is to reduce violence. Did I personally feel a moment of joy when I heard the news? Yes, I can say that I did. I have extremely vivid memories of 9/11, this man was almost definitely involved, so yeah I felt some happiness. I did not join the celebrations in the street. Does my private emotional reaction make me a bad person? Does the fact I chose not to enact those feelings in public make me a good person?

And that's why I am equally bothered by the backlash today. While I don't fully understand many people's inclinations to celebrate the news last night, I also understand that those people are human. Many people believe that Osama bin Laden's life and work threatened lives around the world. Maybe those people are not completely right, but they're not completely wrong either.

"The war on terror is not over!" Certainly, but no one said that it was. No one on CNN, no one in the government, no one on my Facebook feed. No one believes terrorism is over. I find such remarks to be patronizing.

"Nothing has changed!" Really? I'm not sure it's that simple. This man was a leader and an internationally recognized figure. He had immense personal wealth. He was a major player in horrific plots to kill people. He was very intelligent. Leaders like that are not a dime a dozen, and losing him does have some impact. I don't think it means the end of terrorism, but I think it has some impact. We'll just have to wait and see what that is.

So no, I will not be joining in any neighborhood dance parties to celebrate someone being killed. We should never take death so lightly, no matter who was killed. But I will also not be damning others from a pedestal of philosophical righteousness.