Osama Bin Laden's death

I'm posting some correspondence I had with a relative about the raid which resulted in the death of OBL.

My original Facebook stauts post:
From a speech, by MLK Jr., 8/16/67: "I'm concerned about a better world. I'm concerned about justice; I'm concerned about brotherhood; I'm concerned about truth. And when one is concerned about that, he can never advocate... violence. For through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can't murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can't establish truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can't murder hate through violence. Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that."
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My correspondent's response:
Hi Ellen,
I guess I should start with the obligatory...you know I love you and if we were sitting in a kitchen drinking tea I would be smiling, and calm and this would NOT be an 'argument starter'.
I am just so surprised by your comments regarding Bin Laden's death. You are a self proclaimed New Yorker and the man and his followers made New Yorkers and people all over the world live in fear wondering what evils would come our way by his hand. He master minded the attacks on New York that killed thousands. I saw families torn apart, friends going to many funerals and not to mention the FDNY who, by doing their jobs and being fearless, were killed trying to save others. It lead the news for months when in other parts of the ocuntry it was an after thought..a footnote following the news of that part of the country.
It was such a dark day for New York and Americans. I felt unsafe in large crowds and avoided going to the city for quite sometime. HE did all that to us!
I understand HATE is not a good emotion, but the man was pure evil and now he is no more. Understandably, there are others, who will glorify this evil into something wonderful and follow his path of destruction.
I just wanted you to know that although a few loved your comments and those of your friends...I venture to guess most people from NY didn't comment online for a reason.
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And here is my response to her:
figure anyone who wants to comment, will, and anyone who wants to bitch about me privately will do that, too.

Please understand that I am not by any means underestimating the impact OBL's tentacles had on NYC and on the entire world. I despise what he did to thousands of innocent working people and heroic first responders. I have no doubt of his complete, unrepentant evil. Certainly nobody with that much blood on his hands deserves to be out walking around anyplace in the world. Most of the time I do not miss the so-called comforts of religion but occasionally I do wistfully long for the certainty of a heaven and a hell; it would be pleasing to think that the wicked were being punished for eternity. When I think of what the long-term effect of 9/11 has been on my city, our country, and our world, I could cry--in fact, I have cried. An entire thesaurus worth of epithets is not enough to describe the utter malevolence of this man and his followers. I agree 100% with everything you say about the evil he wrought.

What I also remember is the video footage of his followers burning flags and dancing in the streets after 9/11, and how it steeled America's resolve to take revenge. And what has come of it? Wasted money, wasted time. An all-volunteer military that is stretched to the limit with wars on multiple fronts. Horrible physical and psychological damage to those who come home from those wars. So many body bags that for years the government wouldn't allow them to be even photographed. Untold thousands of dead civilians. Ever-tightening circles of surveillance, agencies whose sole job is to monitor citizens like you and me, and a much-diminished political position in the world at large. Tragedy #2 of 9/11 is that America deliberately and systematically squandered the incredible store of international support and goodwill which that horrific day generated. The thing that set America apart from most other countries, up until somewhere around the turn of the 21st century, was our moral imperative. It's an intangible but very powerful asset, and it exists no more.

We can do a pretty good job of punishment here on earth if we so choose. Personally, I could think of a lot more horrible things than a quick death. I'd rather die than spend the rest of my life incarcerated. Kill someone and you can be as sure as sunrise that there is a faction that will elevate that person's execution to martyrdom.

I don't intend my thoughts to be a slap in the face to anyone, especially to my family or anyone who was affected by 9/11. I do not denigrate their fears, their sense of loss, and the upending their lives took. But (to say it again) I simply have no more stomach for violence. I don't see where it ever solves anything, not even on the smallest level. (By the way, do not confuse "violence" with "discipline"...I don't think any parent who whacks her kid's backside should be reported.) All it does is perpetuate the cycle of escalation, revenge, reprisal, and bitterness.

If you're still reading (which is likely but not assured!), I want to say I admire you for writing to me. It couldn't have been easy. You can share this as you see fit; perhaps those who are less understanding than you will get some small insight into how I am thinking, should they care to spend the time.

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And that's all for this post. 'Nuff said.