If I ever had any doubts, I guess I am not a red-blooded American patriot. While news reports showed thousands of people dancing in the streets and chanting "USA! USA!" across the country after learning that Osama Bid Laden is dead, that certainly wasn't my reaction. No, I thought it was too bad that he wasn't apprehended alive, so he could stand trial for his alleged misdeeds.
From my vantage point, it is a lot like when Lee Harvey Oswald was murdered by Jack Ruby before anyone had a real opportunity to sit down with Oswald to try to figure why he had allegedly shot President Kennedy. With Oswald's death, all that was left was speculation and conspiracy theories.
The same is now true with Bin Laden. It is believed that he was behind the 9/11 attacks -- that is what he claimed -- but, on intensive questioning, we may have learned that he really didn't have much or anything to do with it. Many also believe that he has been the main coordinator of various terrorist attacks over the years. We may have learned differently or, at least, we may have learned that he indeed was the main man and we could have received information from him to forestall a number of future attacks.
With him dead, we have no chance of picking his brain. If he is guilty of the various allegations against him, we have been robbed of the opportunity to see him stand before a court of law to answer for his crimes.
And there is one other issue that received scant mention last night by all the talking heads I listened to on the mainstream news networks: A murdered Bin Laden may generate a greater worldwide threat than a captured Bin Laden. By killing him, we have created a martyr and a rallying cry for those who wish to do us harm. His death at our hands may serve as the catalyst for greater atrocities in the future.
From my vantage point, it is a lot like when Lee Harvey Oswald was murdered by Jack Ruby before anyone had a real opportunity to sit down with Oswald to try to figure why he had allegedly shot President Kennedy. With Oswald's death, all that was left was speculation and conspiracy theories.
The same is now true with Bin Laden. It is believed that he was behind the 9/11 attacks -- that is what he claimed -- but, on intensive questioning, we may have learned that he really didn't have much or anything to do with it. Many also believe that he has been the main coordinator of various terrorist attacks over the years. We may have learned differently or, at least, we may have learned that he indeed was the main man and we could have received information from him to forestall a number of future attacks.
With him dead, we have no chance of picking his brain. If he is guilty of the various allegations against him, we have been robbed of the opportunity to see him stand before a court of law to answer for his crimes.
And there is one other issue that received scant mention last night by all the talking heads I listened to on the mainstream news networks: A murdered Bin Laden may generate a greater worldwide threat than a captured Bin Laden. By killing him, we have created a martyr and a rallying cry for those who wish to do us harm. His death at our hands may serve as the catalyst for greater atrocities in the future.
Since yesterday night , I can't help but think of Mahatma Gandhi - An eye for an eye makes everyone blind...
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