Lone Phoenix Resident Celebrates Death of Osama Bin Laden

When news broke last night that vile terrorist Osama Bin Laden had been killed, millions of Americans began celebrating in cities across the nation. In Washington, D.C., thousands gathered in front of the White House to chant and cheer in fervent fashion into the early hours of the morning. Meanwhile, a...

By Benjamin Leatherman

May 2, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

When news broke last night that vile terrorist Osama Bin Laden had been killed, millions of Americans began celebrating in cities across the nation.

In Washington, D.C., thousands gathered in front of the White House to chant and cheer in fervent fashion into the early hours of the morning. Meanwhile, a throng of countless New Yorkers gathered near Ground Zero to rejoice in the death of one of the masterminds of the September 11th attacks. Similar celebrations also took place in Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

And as for the Valley? Uh, not much happened that we could see, save for the one-man patriotic demonstration conducted by Manuel Gonzales.

The 18-year-old Phoenix resident says he felt an "overwhelming sense of patriotism" last night after hearing the news of Bin Laden's death and wanted to mark the occasion with an impromptu celebration.

So around 10 p.m., he grabbed an American flag and began walking south along 24th Street near his home while waving Old Glory.

We encountered Gonzales south of Camelback Road in the midst of his personal parade, and witnessed a couple of cops from the Phoenix Police give him a thumbs up.

"This just something I felt I had to do," Gonzales told us. "A few people have honked and waved at me, so I know I'm not the only one who is feeling patriotic."

Follow Jackalope Ranch on Facebook and Twitter.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Benjamin Leatherman is a staff writer for Phoenix New Times where he focuses primarily on arts, culture, music, and nightlife. He began writing for New Times in 2003 and joined the staff full-time in 2005. Prior to that, he contributed to magazines such as Tips & Tricks and The Wrestler. Benjamin has earned multiple awards from the Arizona Press Club including an award for sports enterprise reporting in 2009 and an award for statewide arts reporting in 2014. He holds a bachelor’s of arts in journalism from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Contact: Benjamin Leatherman

Follow:

Twitter: @partycrasheraz

Instagram: @partycrasheraz