By Douglas V. Gibbs
Over the weekend Fox News’ Chris Wallace asked why it is legal to fire upon, and kill, an unarmed bin Laden, yet at the same time those very same Democrats believe it is wrong to use waterboarding as an interrogation technique. The liberals are worried about upsetting someone with a technique that simulates drowning, while having no problem with the President of the United States calling for the assassination of Osama bin Laden.
Don't get me wrong. Osama bin Laden was a bad guy, and his death has made just about every American sleep a little better at night. We dreamed of the day the notorious terrorist would be shot and killed, or hang from a noose around his neck. Osama bin Laden was responsible for the murder of over 3,000 Americans on 9/11, and in this patriot's opinion, any death was too good for him.
Considering our history as a nation, and the fact that we pride ourselves in being a nation of laws, one must ask if the assassination of Osama bin Laden is consistent with the rule of law. After all, as Americans, we pride ourselves in being exceptional. Even the Nazis, as guilty as they were, did not find themselves lined up in front of a firing squad, or hunted down by some American assassin. We staged trials for German war criminals. Be it a military trial, or civilian trial, we have always prided ourselves in giving accused men a fair trial before execution.
Our humanity demands due process, or at least something reminiscent of it. If we simply begin going around assassinating all of the bad guys because we deem it necessary, we become no better than the ideological fanaticism we have pledged to defeat.
Modern law sets us apart from the savages and the tyrants. Ours is an attempt to be triumphant in our pursuit of fairness, rather than be a tyrannical system governed by medieval rules. The U.S. Constitution demands that we conduct our nation in a manner that is considered an exception to the rule. It does not flatter us to suddenly lower ourselves to the level of having a leader that assassinates his enemies as Obama did with Osama bin Laden.
Yes, I am deep down glad Osama bin Laden is dead, but for some reason the idea of him being hunted down and assassinated is not riding well with me. As Americans I just think we should be able to set aside our deep need for revenge and put these mass-murderers on trial to prove their crimes.
President Obama's actions are historical. This was the first time in American history where the President of the United States approved, and ensured to be carried out, an assassination against the leader of our enemy.
Our politicians, on both sides of the aisle, have been celebrating the shooting of an admittedly unarmed man, without even considering any alternative. I get that Osama was a terrorist, and the mastermind behind 9/11 - But as much of a dirtball as that killer was, by simply being human, he deserved a trial. All people deserve at least that much. Otherwise, we become no better than the enemy.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
You've changed direction. You were against due process for Gitmo prisoners, arguing that Kalid Sheik Muhammad did not deserve a trial in New York.
ReplyDeleteBin Laden got the same due process that he gave to the sailors on the USS Cole, the embassy personnel in Tanzania and Kenya, the people in the World Trade Center, the people in the Pentagon, and the passengers and crew of those four airplanes.
ReplyDeleteHarried One, I have not changed my direction on due process. The Gitmo prisoners should have gotten theirs through military tribunals. My argument was not that they didn't deserve due process, but that it was dangerous to do so through the civilian court system.
ReplyDeleteBigfoot, I agree with you, but it bothers me that the president of the United States put out a call for an assassination. And this is not the first time. Remember, he also put out a call for assassination against an American citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki (also without any concern for due process . . . and in the case of al-Awlaki, that means Obama and friends are working to deny an American citizen their Constitutional right to due process).
ReplyDelete