In Response; Osama

In response to a Facebook status and comment.

The status:

"I feel slightly ashamed that people are rejoicing over this death. I'm not saying he didn't deserve it, but that's what makes us better than Terrorists? That we needn't return the killing. I believe in the sacredness of life. We wont forget those who have been lost, but is vengeance really the right path? You want justice, bring him to Guantanamo and make him suffer, death is release and not up to man to determine."

and the comment by the same person later in the conversation caused by the status:

"I don't buy it, I think they got "passionate" and decided to off him then and there. Who else gets the opportunity of knowing they killed the sob who heavily influenced 9/11? I don't buy for a minute that our military, the most advanced, smartest, weapons you-haven't-even-heard-of-

bearing military in the entire world, "didn't have a choice" because fuck if they actually tell us the true story. Again, I don't think you're seeing that I'm saying he deserved it, we should have caught and tortured him for a very long time, if not, till his death, but not by our hands. By natural means. And you don't have to believe that you shouldn't kill him, that's your opinion, but it will never sit in my gut as "the right thing to do" in this situation. Its all political."

MY RESPONSE:

"Reading through this there was only one thing I could point out with facts that I find faulty. I disagree with the idea that killing the "bad guys" makes us "bad" but I respect your opinion and understand that it is necessary to have differing opinions to help sort of police the other side. If it weren't for people like you, ******, then it's possible that a country as powerful and wide reaching as ours would simply kill everyone who hindered us instead of finding another way. However, that's not why I wanted to comment.

You said "we should have caught and tortured him for a very long time, if not, till his death"
But the problem is that we wouldn't have tortured him. Not even for a little bit.
Considering how high of a risk he is, he would have been put into our strongest off-country prison, guarded day and night by our best soldiers and, if he lived long enough, put to stand trial for his crimes against humanity. At best, he would have surved a life sentence and then possibly have been put to death. Or he may have just been put to death but at the same time it's entirely possible he could escape and return to his terrorist group and continue on as he had before.

But we would Never have tortured him. He would have been treated as a high-risk prisoner but an American prisoner. Meaning proper nutrition, healthcare, adequate housing, exercise and everything else Americans believe all people deserve.
He never would have to truly pay for his crimes. He would have lived in a plush cell with room service, always with the chance of escape.

With him dead, yes, his people will be angry, but if he had lived they would have turned him into a cause. They most probably would attack where ever he was kept in the hopes of getting him back. Which would unnecessarily have put soldiers at risk because it would be their duty to protect his cell, both from those attempting to assist in his escape and from those trying to kill him for his crimes.

I do believe it is a dark day when a man is forced to kill another man but it is most definitely a higher crime to torture another man because it most always ends up being a torture for both men and a torture on their societies. One because one of their own is being hurt purposely and maliciously and the other because they now have to bear the burden of knowing that they are allowing, or possibly encouraging, the victimization of another man.

Osama tortured people. He terrorized them and made them feel unsafe in their homes, jobs, and in other countries. It wasn't just the U.S. that he committed crimes against. Killing him doesn't make us as bad as him because we didn't do it to terrorize his family, his faith, or his nation. We killed him in combat; in an effort to bring him to justice for what he has done. What would have made us just as bad as him, maybe even worse than him, is if we had tortured him. Because we would have ended up torturing his family, his faith, and the people who followed him. And the only one of those four things that deserves to pay for his crimes is him."