Over the past few days, I've delved into an intriguing topic of morality with many of my friends; the moral question at hand: Is it moral to celebrate the killing of Osama Bin Laden?
I extended the discussion through the blog's Facebook page with a poll asking readers the same question. see here. Feel free to contribute with your thoughts via the Facebook page or in the comments below.
We wouldn't be having this conversation if there weren't massive celebrations around the country after the President formally announced that the United States military had killed the world's most wanted man.
Admittedly, I did take part in the celebrations throughout Bentley University and it was certainly fun; you could feel a sense of unity and pride, even amongst a thousand college students who only cared to riot and avoid their finals. Since coming to the United States, these celebrations were the first time that I had seen American's so united (I wasn't in the U.S. in 2001).
Despite the celebrations, everyone was influenced by the attacks in different ways. To some, friends, parents, or relatives "almost" took the planes that were hijacked, or almost went the the World Trade Center that day. To them, the sense of near death possibilities gives a new feeling about the lives they lead.
To others, who had known someone who died or was severely injured due to the attacks, depression and a sense of emptiness followed.
To the largest number of people, the attacks by Al Qaeda on that day led to the activation of thousands of reserve units who were deployed in Afghanistan. Thousands more volunteered after the attack. Despite the controversy, the Iraqi invasion was also a result of the attacks regardless of whether it was justified. Here, thousands of men and women fell by the shock of an IED or the penetration of a bullet.
Yet this wasn't the collective experience of the attacks. To Muslim, Arab, and even non-Muslim and Non -Arabs that fell into the stereotypes, the attacks led to the beginning of both institutional and personal discrimination. Hatred fueled by the few spread fast through ignorance and many were alienated in their own communities. Here lies my own experience. I'm personally not directly affected by the deployment or death of thousands of soldiers, but I've been subject to deep ignorant discrimination in both my high school (the institution) and my class mates (the personal). My family goes through extra screening when flying back and forth through airports simply because of who we are.
Of course, all this is just the American experience of the attacks. I haven't talked about the Iraqi, or Afghani experience. Nor have I spoke of the Chinese Muslims further persecuted by China as a result of the attack, nor the Chechnyans which were further crushed by Russia. Simply considering the American side the direct victims of the attack, there is enough of a spectrum of experiences to tell an interesting story.
Regardless of how people were effected, it was almost completely negative. Muslim/Arab lives became more difficult as hate spread, the body count of thousands of soldiers was detailed on every major news channel, and families were constantly struck with grief.
With such horrendous effects, it only seems natural that the killing of Osama Bin Laden would lead to celebrations, so why the question? Because there is a difference between the morality of killing the person, and the morality of celebrating their death.
I think very few in the world would think that Osama Bin Laden deserved to live. Had he been caught by the United States or any of its allies, he would have most likely been handed over to the U.S., which would have tried him in military tribunal. With the evidence so high over his head, a conviction would have been easy and, as happens with many tribunals, the death penalty would have been issued as an enemy of the state; rightfully so in my opinion.
Yet the question remains: Should we be celebrating his killing?
Our collective moral compass tells us that celebrating the death of a anyone isn't right; in fact its very wrong. Imagine the Westboro Baptist Church celebrating the death of U.S. soldiers. Or in a less extreme example, you and I celebrating the death of the man down the street; it just isn't right.
But we all know that Bin Laden wasn't just "the man down the street" (although the people of Abottobad must have felt so). He was a mass murder who made the lives of millions of people nothing less than hell, but as a friend put it:
"I don't believe that we improve ourselves celebrating death. Soldiers don't cheer in graveyards."He makes a valid point. We don't move forward, improve, or build bridges by celebrating death, even the death of the the source of fear for a generation. Feelings of vindication, justice, or comfort are different than open celebration of a killing. If anything, his death should be a reminder of all those lost with the hope of more peaceful times to come.
So when is celebration of death ever justified? if ever at all? I believe celebrating Bin Laden's death based on the belief of a reduced fear of being attacked is justified. There is much to be said when people celebrate the idea of greater safety, and to me, this is certainly moral.
This does give us a lot to think about. It isn't a black or white issue with an absolute answer. The former is oddly immoral despite (what seems as) a natural inclination to celebrate, the latter is more justified and reasonable.
I wish I could say that the celebrations were to praise a decrease in fear however it is apparent, at least to me, that the protests, especially at Bentley University, weren't. This is most apparent by the chants of "Fuck Osama" and yells of "We got him boys!"
The celebrations were the result of a catharsis of emotions that had been building up for nearly a decade. Yes, strong emotions, but perhaps now we see their nature: Immoral.
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