Justice

“ Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done.”-- George W. Bush - September 20, 2001

 “We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda’s terror: Justice has been done.” –Barrack H. Obama, May 1, 2011

“Earlier this evening, President Obama called to inform me that American forces killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda network that attacked America on September 11, 2001. I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission. They have our everlasting gratitude. This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.” – George W. Bush, May 1, 2011          

Bush’s statement echoes his call for “Justice” from almost a decade ago after the attacks of September 11, 2011. In the last few days I have been watching Facebook for the reaction to the death of Osama Bin Laden and it goes from pure revenge to criticism of the President to the following. “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him." Proverbs 24:17-18

                I got the following numbers off the internet. The U. S. Military Losses since September 11, 2011, are 4,768 Coalition Casualties in Iraq, 2,421 in Afghanistan and 2 from Patrick County, Virginia, Jonathan Bowling and Leevi Barnard. This weekend on May 7, there will be a benefit for Joshua Kerns, who was wounded in Afghanistan a few weeks ago.

          I have thought about these three young men a lot over the last few days. Two lives lost and one forever changed and what the world would be like without this horrific change. The things they might have done and the children they might have had that we will never know because of Osama Bin Laden’s religious fanaticism and the hate he spewed.

          The loss of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan are staggering. 48,644 total casualties in Afghanistan (40,000 Afghan Civilians and Soldiers) and total casualties in Iraq of 1,609,903 (864,000 Iraq civilians). I put everyone of these lives lost at the feet of Osama Bin Laden. It took nearly ten years to kill this man after the attacks of September 11, 2011. It took nearly ten years and thousands of lost lives for Justice.

          I have little use for Bill Clinton because I believe from everything I have read that he could have killed Osama Bin Laden before September 11, 2011, after the attacks on the U. S. S. Cole, which killed seventeen sailors and wounded thirty-nine and the 1993 attacks on the World Trade Center, which killed six and injured thousands. Unlike Clinton, Obama was willing to give the word to take out Osama, a decision that I agree with.

          Assuming that Osama is dead and they need to show proof soon or the conspiracy theories are going to start flying. It concerns me greatly that this country is so fractured that the leadership shown by the President is criticized instead of giving him credit for taking out one of the worst enemies this country has had. I don’t like much of what Obama is doing, but Osama is dead and we as a country should acknowledge that a team of dedicated military, intelligence and yes even political leaders took him out. This same harping from the other side during George W. Bush’s administration made me uncomfortable because when we are at war with an enemy that really does want to destroy our freedom of speech, put women back in the Stone Age and rule us by religious law, the petty political dialogue serves no good purpose.

 
We are a great country. We are an exceptional country. People are upset because they buried Bin Laden at sea as his religion dictates, a religion that he so abused that there is not enough room on this blog to state it. We are a great country because we can rise above the hate of this mad man. We are a great country because we produce men like Jonathan Bowling, Leevi Barnard and Joshua Kerns. I am proud of that and I am glad Osama Bin Laden is dead. I believe they have some justice today along with all the others who lost their lives because of the actions Osama Bin Laden put in motion. It takes courage to die for what you believe in and that leads me to the last quote I saw on Facebook this week, which speaks for itself.

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.