Speaking of Osama

Monday morning when I got to the newsroom the boss lady asked me to head out to the streets to get reactions from Lubbock residents on the death of Osama bin Laden.

This is the story that ran.

The part that didn't make it in the story...


"Not every Lubbock resident echoed the same sentiment as Carr.

Lee Levine, 70, Lubbock resident and retired U.S. Air Force, said he is Muslim and the only word he could use to describe his reaction to the news was 'terrible.'

'He was my hero,' Levine said.

Levine refused to answer further questions.

Imam Samer Altabaa, from the Islamic Center of the South Plains, said Levine is not a practicing Muslim at the mosque, and said he feels Levine does not know anything about Islam.

'He is his hero?,' Altabaa said, 'For what? What does he do? Kill people?'"

When I spoke to Lee Levine and asked him if he had heard the news about Osama bin Laden from last night he said no. When I told him he had been killed, Levine's entire physical presence shifted. His eyes dimmed, his shoulders slumped and he muttered over and over again "terrible, terrible." To say the least, I was a bit surprised and taken aback. He only spoke to me for about a minute after I told him the news, then refused to answer any further questions before walking off. My editor decided to cut this from the story simply because we don't know if this guy is really who he said he was. No need to go around saying retired U.S. Air Force puts Osama on a pedestal when he may not even be retired U.S. Air Force.

Weird, right? Just another day at the office.

Always,