The Demise of Osama bin Laden

As I write these words, thousands of people have gathered at the White House, at Ground Zero, and in Times Square, among other places, waving flags, chanting "USA, USA," and singing patriotic songs.  The throngs are cheering the courage of our brave soldiers and the unsung and unknown analysts and agents who brought us this day of justice; they are expressing their relief that the hunt for bin Laden is over, at long last; they are expressing their hope that, perhaps, the war against Al Qaeda may yet be won.  And, yes, the crowds are also celebrating the demise of Osama bin Laden.

As an American and a Catholic Christian, I join with them whole-heartedly in each of these sentiments.  President Obama, his national security team, and those individual soldiers who undertook the military operation deserve our gratitude.  Courage is a virtue and is rightly praised.  The American people in their fortitude and commitment to see this through have seen the fruits of our perseverance.  Patience and faithfulness in our work are also virtues to be honored.  Justice for the leading perpetrators of the worst mass murder ever committed on American soil brought is deeply satisfying and long overdue.  And, while we as Catholics hold every human life as precious, even those of our enemies, Osama bin Laden was no longer a simple man but had become, by his own considered choice, the incarnation of unreasoning terror and the face of atrocity.  The death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of United States was the result of a strike against evil that should be respected.  And, most importantly, today's events bring an end, not merely to the life of one man, but to that man's ongoing, personal, and dedicated efforts to kill more innocents.

On this particular occasion, I think Dale Carpenter at the Volokh Conspiracy has it just right:

One Should Say Only Good Things About the Dead

Bin Laden is dead.  Good.