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.
