The Assassination of Osama bin Laden

I never thought I would blog about Osama bin Laden but then again I think I had given up hope of anyone actually finding the man. Once you have been able to hide out for ten years why not twenty or thirty?

I cannot say that I am surprised he was hiding in plain sight; I actually believed he would be. It has been said that it is the best place to hide, so why wouldn’t terrorist Osama join the ranks of the criminals hiding next door? Whether the Pakistanis knew he was there, I would LOVE to know. Given how much money we have given to Pakistan, finding out he was living in a house next door to the military certainly justifies our asking for answers. That said, Pakistan may feel justified in not answering given that we invaded their sovereignty to get the man.

I believe that the most likely scenario is that some did know but how many and how powerful is the question. I leave open the very real possibility that none but his trusted compatriots knew; after all, how often do we find marijuana grow ops and meth labs in seemingly unsuspected suburban homes? While some of the alleged behaviour at his compound should have seemed suspicious, the fact is that we could not find the man for TEN YEARS so maybe we should not be so quick to assume complicity on the part of the Pakistanis.

I cannot celebrate his death. Maybe is it my Christian upbringing or maybe it is just who I am, I don’t know? It is not hard to understand why The President made the choice he did or why so many people, particularly New Yorkers, might be happy to hear the news. I understand that he committed evil acts and I am glad he is no longer free to commit evil but murder is wrong. I cannot agree with The President ordering him killed. I suspect most will disagree with me.

If The President had ordered Osama bin Laden captured and if not possible then killed, I could live with that but ordering a man killed without trial is immoral and unjust.

Maybe I just believe in Karma too much and fear the equal and opposite reaction to our choice to assassinate a man because we could?!?

I do agree with President Obama’s decision not to the release the post mortem photos of bin Laden. That was the morally right thing to do and right thing for other reasons as well. I have to admit that upon first hearing I did fear that this choice would lead to the Osama is alive conspiracy theorists making the President Obama birthers look sane. After some reflection, I have decided that the two situations are very different and that there really is no good reason to release them. Terrorist guy is dead and will not be reincarnated, at least not genetically.

Mr. President, I do not know you but I think I understand why you made the decisions you made. I thank you for making the finding of Osama bin Laden a priority. I thank you for the relief that it has brought to the victims of 9/11. The team of Navy Seals did their job honorably and were obviously crackerjack. We will just have to agree to disagree on the kill order.

Yes, Osama bin Laden committed acts of evil but perhaps the moral goal in the face of evil is not to perpetuate it. What do we become when we respond to evil by assassinating it unarmed and without a trial? What consequences do we create for ourselves?

My fear is that by our choice we have added to the darkness in this world and not the light. That is my fear. But I do understand why so many are so very happy.

Next Blogum: June 2011

Sage Spencer