I have to say, I have really mixed feelings on the death of Osama bin Laden. Many people view his assassination as a victory for the U.S. I can understand why some people believe this, but personally I find it hard to morally be able to consider death a victory of any sort. I am well aware of the atrocities he caused, but I don't believe in this sort of reciprocal justice. It's like the death penalty. I don't support the death penalty because no human should have the ability to choose the penultimate fate of another human being. Here the same sort of situation applies. I'm assuming that it was a capture or kill situation, and that they had no other option. And maybe there is a point where death can be a reciprocal response. But to set that standard only gives the opportunity for the standard to erode into punishments instead of outstanding reciprocity.
Besides, how much does this actually accomplish? It is a moral victory, but someone in class mentioned a good point. Al Qaeda has no doubt been planning for this, and probably had leadership lined up. It's a large organization that probably had plenty of other plans in the works. I don't believe this is a crippling blow, though I am no military strategist. If there is some greater triumph I'd like to know it, because right now it seems like he was just killed for a rallying point. That is no justification for death.
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