My thoughts on the political commentary coming out of our “leaders” on the death of an alleged criminal Osama bin Laden published in the SMH letters section today.
I am appalled at the joy our leaders are expressing at the death of Osama bin Laden. There should have been a fair trial and proper court process with life imprisonment (as with our legal system). The death penalty, whether by trial or sniper fire, is something all should oppose, even for the most vile, lest we stoop to their level.
Nathan Lee – Surry Hills
But I guess no amount of writing letters will change that he’s now a martyr and any chance at proper justice (versus revenge) is lost forever.
Not that this whole thing couldn’t have been avoided by Bush simply accepting the offer by the Taliban to turn over bin Laden back in October 2001.
Oh, and it is almost exactly 8 years to the day from the point at which Bush declared “Mission Accomplished”.
Wonder if Trump and the Tea Party Birther nutcases will refuse to believe Osama is dead without the full birth certificate?
UPDATE:
A reply in the next day’s letters may have “jumped the gun” a bit:
I’m not sure if Nathan Lee (Letters, May 3) is kidding, with his insistence that ”There should have been a fair trial and proper court process” of Osama bin Laden. Assuming he is serious, it’s just embarrassing to see how little stomach people seem to have. Does Mr Lee realise that bin Laden would have been firing an automatic weapon at the time he was shot? Perhaps the US soldiers should have read him his rights instead? As far as I’m concerned, a bullet to the head was too kind, and I feel sorry for the fish now feasting on him.
Daniel Lewis Rushcutters Bay
Effective justice depends more on reasoning brains than gut feeling of rage. He was not only unarmed but unless he was naked he was to be shot. Sure doesn’t sound like there was much of a window for him to come out of it alive to be put on trial huh?
Well said,
However I think the jury selection would be a little bias.