by I have so many mixed feelings and I hesitate to post them because I’m sure each one of them will upset some group, but here is what I’m feeling. First, I wish he could have been taken alive. Not a criticism of the Navy Seals involved in the mission, it probably wasn’t possible, but I wanted him to stand trial. I understand there would have been about a half a million downsides to this, but I believe a life in prison would have been a worse punishment than death. I’m actually crueler than people who wanted him torn limb from limb. When I used to imagine his capture all the soldiers were female, because I knew for him that would be the most humiliating. But keeping him in prison would probably have been too inflammatory, and very expensive.
Second, this was likely a necessary death, but that fact that a human being was so damaged and destructive we had to destroy him is a terrible thing.
Third, I was thinking of going down to ground zero but I don’t want to hear chants of USA, USA. I would prefer to promote appreciation and respect for all countries and not the idea that America is the best. I would prefer to chant the names of all countries.
This picture was from a protest yesterday. There were lots of signs but most were against deportation. My absolute favorite thing about New York City is the diversity. When I run out to get milk for my coffee (Half and Half actually!) between my apartment and the grocery store I’ll hear a dozen different accents and languages. So I don’t want my neighbors deported either.
If I recall correctly, you were one of the first people who brought coffee and donuts to the responders at the site of the tragedy.
This day must be very emotional for you.
Thank you for this, Stacy. I have been upset by some of the reactions I’ve seen and heard. You express my mixed emotions admirably.
Hi Stacy,
as one of your conservative fans, I hope you can appreciate that I’m not crazy about the President.
However, I have to give him credit, because I believe he did exactly the right thing in the right way.
I can appreciate your sensibilities and also the way you would have preferred a somewhat different outcome.
I think that one needs to consider the idea that if you cannot trust President Obama and a Democratic administration, then frankly, you will never be able to trust any political decisions from anyone. It is not likely that we will see another president more in conformity with your views than this one.
I think that occasionally the time comes when people simply have to realize that the President, with daily intelligence briefings and the advice of military strategists and State Department thinkers, is in a position to make the right decisions.
We simply don’t have the basis on which to think these things through, because we do not have access to all the classified suggestions by many people who spend their entire lives studying these subjects and coming to conclusions.
I suspect we need to consider that when actions like the Osama bin Laden neutralization take place, our problem may be with having to deal with the existential necessities of the nature of reality and not the policy.
Incidentally, I had just started The Restless Sleep when my wife saw that I had it and stole it from me. Now I have to wait until she finished to be able to read it.
Maybe we should ask Finney what we should do..?
Eat. It’s Finney’s answer to everything.