If You're Having A Hard Time Morally Justifying Celebrating Bin Laden's Death

[ChoppinBroccoli]

Here's a quote that may help:

"I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." ~Mark Twain

[cleanhippie]

1. +1. Twain really had the ability to put things in better perspective.

[Richardo]

2. The guy had a way with words, did he not?

:patriot: K&R

[closeupready]

3. I don't have a hard time justifying celebration.

I just think it's not quite as big of a deal as some seem to think - it's a big deal, don't get me wrong, but terrorism transcends any one person, and the root causes of al-qaida and 9/11 haven't really gone anywhere. That's why I am happy, but with reservations.

[gratuitous]

4. I guess there's a moral aspect to it, too

But as old as I am, I recall a time when "justice," a word bandied about quite freely this morning without apparent irony or understanding, didn't include a massacre. And I say massacre because, unless you're picking on a toddler, any fight you're in results in some injury to both sides. We're being told six Navy SEALS took out an entire compound full of bloodthirsty murderers in a firefight and didn't sustain so much as a hangnail. That beggars belief.

Next, I read these quaint old words on a piece of parchment once that no person should be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law. If that's no longer operable, it would be nice to know that should I ever consider calling the police or otherwise engage with the government. If due process of law is to mean anything, it must be applicable even to the meanest, lowest, most ooga-booga scary guys.

Any number of people seem quite happy and satisfied with this result, but I'm afraid that just because there's a putative Democrat in the White House today, I can't quite trim my principles to fit this year's fashion. The oath is to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, not blast someone to Kingdom Come because he's scary.

[vim876]

5. Right.

It's definitely important to separate the joy of knowing ObL is no longer at large and able to harm others from the sorrow at the loss of any human life. And Mark Twain, a quintessentially American writer, always reminds me of the good things about this country. :)

[kestrel91316]

6. Bin Ladin received a measure of justice. It works for me.

I'll shed no tears for him, and sincerely hope he has an afterlife filled with regret.

[pokerfan]

7. You mean Clarence Darrow?

[Fool Count]

8. Or you could just, you know, not celebrate. It is not against

the law, is it?