Jimmy Foster, the National Commander of the American Legion with whom I’ve hoisted a few shots on occasion has an opinion piece out in which he calls for the release of the death photos of Osama bin Laden.
Well, Mr. President, the American people paid for those photographs. More than a trillion dollars, in fact, if you factor in the cost of the Department of Homeland Security, two wars, and the care for more than 40,000 veterans who have been wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq
Is that a measure for justice? In dollars? If that’s the case, why do we need measly photos to satiate our sense of justice.
President Obama said that “given the graphic nature of these photos it would create a national security risk.” I respectfully disagree.
Radical Islam creates the national security risk. There were no photographs that prompted the attacks on 9/11, the missile strike on the USS Cole or the bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Lebanon. Does anyone seriously believe that the terrorists will hate us less if the photos are not released than they already do now? Will the “death to America “chants that have existed since the Iranian hostage crisis suddenly morph into love sonnets?
The American people are tired of walking on eggshells to placate a violent ideology that respects neither innocent civilians nor the amazing humanitarian work performed by our soldiers every day. The problem is not blasphemous cartoons or even misguided pastors burning Korans. It’s the people who react with barbarous acts of violence usually inflicted on innocents who had nothing to do with the original “offense.”
I’m as tired as the rest of the country of ‘walking on eggshells”, but I figure that’s my duty as long as I give our troops some small measure of security in their miserable lives on the front lines of this battle against evil, racist child-murdering scum.
Sure, it’s utter bullshit that I have to curb my own rights – voluntarily – but if I don’t, I’m not the one who pays in blood.
The American Legion, does not rejoice at any death. But let us remember what bin Laden has wrought. He is the reason more than 6,000 U.S. military families have buried loved ones lost in combat since 9/11. He is the reason our children are now groped in airports by security officials. He is the reason that the level of mistrust between the overwhelming majority of peaceful Muslims and those of other faiths exists.
No, we are the reason that we endure all of those things – we made the choice to draw a line in the sand. In my opinion, we were late arriving at that choice by several decades.
There will be some who doubt the official version of bin Laden’s death whether the photographs are released or not. But not releasing this evidence would surely be adding steroids to these nonsensical conspiracy theories.
Some say the photographs will bring closure. Others see it as a need to satisfy a thirst for vengeance. I prefer to think of them as symbols of justice.
Yes, the “deathers” will never be satisfied by releasing or not releasing the photos, but that’s not the reason you want them anyway.
Again, justice isn’t measured in tangible items like money or photos. The evidence of our victory over bin Laden is all around us – he’s changed us, but we’re still here and he’s not. That’s the evidence of justice in this often-unjust life.
Perhaps the best argument against releasing the photos is the fact that Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson wants them released;
Because while gory photographs would have inflamed some jihadists and wannabes, I believe they would have disillusioned and deflated others. A heroic myth of invulnerability had been built around bin Laden. He was supposed to have cheated death while fighting the Russians in Afghanistan, walking tall through fields of fire as the bullets somehow missed.
Again, that’s fairly cavalier of Eugene who doesn’t have to face eyeball to eyeball those inflamed jihadists on the field of battle. Apparently, he’s more than willing to put our sons and daughters at risk to scare a few who haven’t been frightened by the scads of war p0rn on YouTube.
The non-believers and “deathers” will never be convinced of whatever it is they don’t believe, anyway. If they want to believe that bin Laden is alive, they’ll come up with several excuses as to why when they call his number, someone in Langely picks up every time.
Jonn,
I respectfully disagree with you on two grounds:
Reason 1:
a. Fake pictures of OBL are making the rounds of the net.
b. Fake cartoons of Mohammed made the rounds of the net, and incited violence and murder.
c. Fake pictures of OBL will be used to incite violence and murder.
d. How is violence and murder today different from yesterday?
Therefore, e. Our troops are going to get hammered regardless, but there’s the point that we should stand for what is true. Hiding the pictures play into the jihadists hands that we may be lying.
Second reason: a clever jihadist can create a reasonable facsimile/CGI OBL and give messages for a long, long time. Among the truth-is-perception crowd, such a CGI-video message is all the proof they need that America is a criminal empire and guilty of a lying to its people Releasing the pictures short-circuits the info-war being fought in the west.
Pictures of a dead terrorist does not create more terrorists. It doesn’t threaten our troops any more than they already are. They are going to get shot at regardless.
Sorry, John, but you’re wrong on this one.
Obama’s bungling of the immediate post operation information, the multiple versions of the story, the complete ineptitude… the fact that we’ve released pictures in the past, (Uday and Kusay immediately come to mind) the fact that it was completely moronic to blast Abu Ghraib pictures all over the planet… all of these things can at least partially be put to rest by pictures.
Sure, the doubters will continue to doubt, but that’s in large part because the White House propaganda ministry has been acting like a clown car.
The Commander is right on this one. The extremists don’t need an excuse to become “inflamed,” and I would venture to say that the actual death would be far more inflammatory than any pictures of the body.
I agree with the 2 comments above. They hate us. They want to kill us. Many of them will stop at nothing to do so. Whether or not we release the death photos of their mentor will not change that fact one iota. I mean, do you really think that they will get MADDER at us or try HARDER to kill our brave soldiers? Is it that good ole’ recruiting tool that Guantanamo is supposed to be?
I think not. They.Hate. It’s never better or worse. It’s just pure hate.
Heh. That’s the risk I take. I agree with the 3 comments above my original post then. Fine!!! 8^)
Agreed with all previous posts. Weren’t pictures of the other 3 men that were killed released? What’s one more, even if it is OBL?
But *we* didn’t release those other photos. Someone in Pakistan went in and took them of the aftermath, and they took photos of the dead bodies the SEALs left behind. Whoever it was decided to make a chunk of change by selling them to Reuters.
Why is it news that you “Disagree with American Legion” (headline), unless you WORK for The American Legion. You’re a disloyal P.O.S.
StrikeFO- I agree with you.
You might like this post…
http://wormme.com/2011/05/03/mixed-messages-and-the-stronger-horse/
As a Soldier who has served two tours and enlisted after 9/11/01, I feel I should add my $.02 to the whole picture BS. While life sucks on deployment, those pictures would be one hell of a morale booster, just to know that the Goat humper was really dead and what I was doing there and had done in the past was truly worth it. So, speaking as a Soldier and NCO currently serving, SHOW THE DAMNED PHOTOs and get the issue over with once and for all instead of six months down the road re-igniting everything when they are leaked!!!!
How times have changed…
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“You know, I’m thinking about the Bin Laden photos that will not be released. … I remember when I was a kid — and I’ve seen them myself; you probably have, too. Back in the days of Capone and Baby Face Nelson, Dillinger and all those guys, whenever J. Edgar Hoover wiped these guys out — whenever there was a successful slaughter — the pictures were all over the newspapers. The blood, the guts, the gore, the pasta (if it happened at a restaurant).
How did our parents ever survive the trauma, ladies and gentlemen? How did our parents ever survive?”
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Show the damned photos. Enough pandering to Islam.
Did we worry about the sensibilities of “moderate” NAZIs? Did we worry about the sensibilities of “moderate” shintoists? Did we worry about the sensitibilies of “moderate” Communists?
No. We won the MF-ing war and then put an end to these despicable ideologies.
Until we do the same with Islam, there will be no end to this war effort.
Not publishing the photos just proves that we still.don’t.get.it with regards to Islam.
Imagine if we fought WWII with the goal of leaving NAZIism and Shintoism in place. Imagine if we fought the Cold War with the goal of leaving Communism in place. Think we would have won those wars by respecting and honoring NAZIism, Shintoism and Communism?
So what makes anyone believe that we’re somehow going to win this war by respecting the modern version of NAZIism?
A-f’ing-men to this: Show me the Bloody!
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What’s that, Mr. President? The photos are “very graphic”? So was watching people jump to their deaths from the blazing Twin Towers, you hyperactive condescending nanny. About ten years ago, we had a national traumatic experience as we all watched thousands of people die before our very eyes when the towers collapsed. Since then, we’ve seen Daniel Pearl beheaded, Madrid subway cars blown up, London buses and trains blown up, Bali nightclubs blown up, a Beslan school turned into a massacre site. We’ve seen enough death and dismemberment of innocent civilians to last a lifetime. So pardon me for thinking that our delicate sensibilities might be able to handle seeing the man with more American blood on his hands than anyone else on the planet missing an eye and with some brain matter exposed.
What’s that? It might be “an incitement to additional violence”? Show me one extremist Muslim who’s not going to go into a violent rage over killing bin Laden, but who will do so if he sees the photos. Go out and find him. A few weeks ago, a bunch of Afghanis went on a rampage and killed a bunch of aid workers because Pastor Pyro down in Florida decided to flame-broil a Koran. A controversial book, a cartoon, the latest conspiracy theory — it doesn’t matter. These guys are just looking for excuses to run around and kill people in a frenzy.
I am tired of my government’s adjusting its policies in these inane attempts to placate the triggers of rage among unstable people — as if it’s our fault for provoking them.
The truth will set you free, even when it’s ugly or gruesome.
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Agree with all the responses above. Set this post aside for longer response, but frankly not much to add.