And so, the big news of the day is that President Obama succesfully ordered the execution of Osama Bin Laden.
Truth to be told, I hesitated about the word I would use: execute, kill, murder or assasinate? Indeed, as far as I know, Osama Bin Laden hasn’t been brought to justice, hasn’t been tried nor assigned any defense attorney whatsoever. Killing someone without a due trial is and remains murder in my book (except for cases of self-defense or requested euthanasia). And yes, I do know the 9/11 victims didn’t have a chance either. But when you start using the methods of those you despise, you start lowering yourself to their level (and one can wonder who truly lost in such scenario).
But I guess this is a rare voice of discord, since people (in the West) rejoice about the disappearance of Osama Bin Laden and congratulate President Obama with this handling of this matter, to the point that one article concludes : “All in all, it was a good night to be president“.
Was it? I honestly hope it wasn’t!
For I would hope that any man who orders the execution of another man spends at least an uneasy night. Being a politician, leading a country inevitably calls for some tough choices – if you think about the common good in the long run, that is. Some of those decisions, quite a few actually when the sea’s rough, should keep you up, wide awake, all night long, since you know that some people will suffer because of the way you handle certain matters.
But making the conscious decision to have a human being executed is from a whole other level. So, if the leader of my country were to take such decisions, I sincerely hope he would spend quite a few sleepless nights prior and after he’s giving his order.
P.S. This all reminds me a lot of a subplot in the superb West Wing series, which I can only wholeheartedly recommend for any of you who haven’t yet seen it!
