I find myself with mixed emotions and thoughts today.
On Saturday night a young man was murdered outside my apartment building. The young 19 year old man was coming from a bar and was shot by an unknown assailant. The questions are unending. Why was he shot? Was it alcohol or other drug related? There were a lot of people around when he was shot, thank goodness no one else was injured. Thank goodness our glass walled apartment wasn't hit by a stray bullet. The parents grieve and the community is shocked. But, it is becoming all too commonplace even in a city as nice and quiet as Lexington, KY.
Sunday night, before I retired for the evening breaking news hit the television screen. Osama Bin Laden, terrorist and extremist, had been killed by a United States Special Forces team. People gathered at the White House to celebrate and cheer this death. Bin Laden was a very disturbed and wicked man who killed many people for his extremist beliefs. His death may have been inevitable and even necessary. But somehow the cheering and celebrating bothered me. His death will not bring back the many people killed in the 9-11 attacks that Osama orchestrated. His death will not bring an end to the violence and oppression brought about by religious zealots. But, his death may save another 9-11 or another suicide bombing. Ther is such a thing as justifiable homicide. When one's own life is threatened and no alternative is left but to kill the other the law allows a justifiable homicide.
But the cheers and celebration still bother me.
2 comments:
I'm troubled, too, LaRae. I can't find anything to rejoice about in such deaths. As John Donne wrote, "no man is an island . . . . any man's death diminishes me . . . "
LaRae,
My college roommate and I have had a continuing discussion about this all morning long. My initial reaction was one of joy, then relief, but after I saw the demonstrations outside the White House and other places around our contry it seemed an all too familiar scene with different players. I am certainly not critical of any person celebrating his patriotism, but I believe a better cause for rejoicing would be our troops returning home.
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