Let me apologize right away for giving U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, more play than he probably deserves on a blog that’s mostly local to Kitsap County. This is a question, though, that speaks more to a broader question about the celebrations following the death of Osama bin Laden.
When Kucinich was first scheduled to speak on Bainbridge, I mistakenly thought the event was Sunday night. Fortunately we discovered the error on time. During the speech Kucinich was critical of Obama and NATO for the strike on Muammar Gaddafi’s home, which killed his son and three grandchildren. Kucinich had earlier issued a statement about the strike.
“NATO’s leaders have blood on their hands. NATO’s airstrike seems to have been intended to carry out an illegal policy of assassination. This is a deep stain which can never fully wash. This grave matter cannot be addressed with empty words. Words will not bring back dead children. Actions must be taken to stop more innocents from getting slaughtered.
“Today’s attack underscores that the Obama Doctrine of so-called humanitarian intervention appears to be a cover for regime change through assassination and murder,” said Kucinich.
Had the Bainbridge even actually been on Sunday, I’m sure the first item of discussion would have been bin Laden’s death. I wonder how Kucinich and the audience would have responded to that news given an opportunity to be in the same place at the same time when the news broke.
I heard quite a few conversations following Sunday’s news in which people thought the celebrations were somewhat creepy. Some of the celebrators appeared more influenced by the presence of television cameras, but not all of them.
In 2001 I didn’t think all of the flag waving was the blood lust for revenge some deemed it to be.
Last Sunday night I didn’t read whatever celebration there was as that either. In both cases I’m sure that sentiment was present, but I don’t necessarily believe revenge it was the dominant motivator for most people in the world.
If you believe the world one moment is better than it was the moment before, what is an appropriate response? Maybe whooping it up out on the street is not a bad answer.
What do you think?
The celebration was every bit as appropriate as the celebrations after VE day and VJ day. In all three cases, from Tojo to Hitler to Bin Laden, mass murderers were eradicated.
Americans needed something to celebrate. I didn’t see anyone burning effigies, or vowing death to their enemies. Just an honest outpouring of joy for our country. I saw nothing wrong with it. It’s just this kind of extremism that prevents me from being a Kucinich supporter. I appreciate many of his positions and courage to support them. But he will never be successful if he doesn’t learn to compromise.
What I do find disturbing is how conservatives flip flop and try to find any way possible to make Obama and our military look bad. If George Bush had accomplished this feat they’d have placed him on a pedestal and forever in history he’d be known as some great American Hero… Hypocrisy.
I agree that the capture/assassination of Bin Laden was warranted. He knew he had a price on his head for bragging that he was responsible for the havoc here on Sept 11, ’01.
What I don’t like is Cheney and Rumsfeld insisting that it all came about because somebody resorted to torture (not on our lands). I view it as revenge taken, much like the Mossad did when they saught out the killers of the athletes in Munich in ’72. They hunted down each and every one of the 14 responsible and assassinated them. One at a time, slow but sure. I don’t recall they had to torture anyone, they just infiltrated, got intelligence, and when they were sure, they went in and did the job.
Other war criminals have been hunted and annihilated in the past without waterboarding, etc. It takes people who can “pass”, be accepted by the unwitting enemy, who can gather intelligence at great personal risk. Kudos to them, and not to extreme methods that are normally taken in third-world countries. We are better than that.
Emilie
Port Orchard, WA
I did not feel like whooping it up but I did “feel” good about him being caught . Just wrong someone like that can be responsible for so many murders walking around and being able to plan more of them that just goes against every core of my understanding of justice.
His death really was something I believe was for the better , yikes look at the political fall out of who deserves credit , etc after it happened . I can just see the debate just on how to put him on trial, in a military court or a civil court . The trial itself would be propaganda for the terrorist , republicans and democrats .
I was proud of my President and the Seals . Good job !