The Death of Osama and War

I feel no angst about celebrating the death of Osama Bin Laden. I will not judge the reactions of others. He was an evil man. He killed thousands. And twisted the word of God to justify it. What I feel great sorrow about is that so many lives have been lost trying to avenge 9/11. And I honor and respect those who have lost or risked their lives for what the believe is right.

.. Last night we watched Restrepo for the second time and just before a key point, a push notification from MSNBC came through. "President to announce, Osama Bin Laden is dead."

This operation was well planned, carried out quickly, and the Muslim tradition of burial honored. The evil has been removed... and only Osama and God know if he is in the paradise that he believed in.

War is not to be entered into without "good cause." It because of that the I celebrate the removal of Osama from this world. I was his action and that of his follower that precipitated the deaths of thousands of civilians, Muslims with whom he did not agree and then the thousands of troops that fought and are fighting wars that may or may not have had anything to do with al-Qaeda. Clearly there was a great deal of combat which had nothing to do with 9/11 that the American people have been led to believe was somehow connected. If only this kind of operation had been carried out years ago. We can only speculate to no avail why.

Now it has been done. This is the type of response that any country should be proud of when its soveriegn territories are attacked, its citizens slaughtered. What we need to reflect on is when we my have been guilty of the same.

We must also remember that the ultimate heresy for any of us is to presume to know the mind of God and act in God's name except to "Love one another as I have loved you." John 13:34

Anthem for Doomed Youth
Wilfred Owen
1893-1918

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?

--Only the monstrous anger of the guns.

Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle

Can patter out their hasty orisons.

No mockeries for them from prayers or bells,

Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,-

The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;

And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?

Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes

Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.

The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;

Their flowers the tenderness of silent minds,

And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.