63 Comments

• Eschetic | Nov 20, 2012, 02:03 PM EST

  I disagree with many of your points of argument (#5 is provably wrong), but your points #6 & #9 would have been consummations devoutly to be wished. It will be YEARS before we restore the degradation to our legal system and our international image thanks to Right Wingers' LACK of faith in our own legal system and basic INTERNATIONAL law with their shipping prisoners of a war (they claimed we were "at war" but denied that the prisoners resulting were "prisoners of war" because they were not fighting on a specific nation's military organization!) off to Guantanamo Bay and other places where they would not be subject to those laws. Hypocrisy, thou art a conservative tool which loses the U.S. more friends than it gains us in illusory "security."

• badolan | May 12, 2011, 11:22 PM EDT

  All the above is nice and proper however, I guess the author doesn't understand that we are still in in a recession here in the USA. A 9mm bullet costs less than a dollar - that's for the really good stuff. In this case, it was worth the extra investment. Screw him. I'm glad we blew half his head off and then fed him to the fish. I do however, feel sorry for his thousands of victims, Muslim, Christian, their families and all others. We saved the time and expense of a nice trail and we would have offed him in prison anyway. Good job SEALS !!!!

• irishwxman | May 10, 2011, 08:16 PM EDT

  A new low for you Roberts. The fact you actually sat down and thought of ten reasons not to kill him. What a turd.

• sirpeter | May 10, 2011, 01:53 PM EDT

  Ajreaper..You criticize me for giving my opinion on what America's founders might think and how the hell I would know!! AND then go on to tell me what the founding fathers WOULD think in the rest of your comment. It's your the fu*cking idiot.

• LoyalCitizen | May 09, 2011, 08:42 PM EDT

  What justice does he speak of.

• LoyalCitizen | May 09, 2011, 08:42 PM EDT

  I wonder which planet the author has been living on. Successive so called Irish Governments have been committing crimes against humanity to finance American Corporations and keep the Irish in servitude....When it all went sower Irish Politicians went stealing Social Welfare Recipients using opinions to hide all the details and nobody gets protection by law.

• seanomelbourne | May 09, 2011, 06:33 PM EDT

  You miss my point bullock I'm on your side.

• Fran Connor | May 09, 2011, 10:06 AM EDT

  Wrong again, Pat. It's been thirty years since Mumia Abu Jamal was convicted of killing a police officer in Philly and sentenced to death. Now he's getting a new hearing for his sentence. Holder and Obama would probably afford this mass killer the same rights.

• Suivness10 | May 09, 2011, 10:01 AM EDT

  You've got to be kidding. I agree with Obama when he said, "the one thing I didn't lose sleep about was taking Bin Laden out." Have you really fogotten that this guy took out over 3,000 people? And if we killed Hitler that wouldn't have been such a bad idea either.

• maireadinmelb | May 09, 2011, 04:44 AM EDT

  Sorry Bullocks but America has looked like bullies in the playground since they invaded Iraq! And as I said earlier in a perfect world he would be charged and tried. But unfortunately Laws passed after Sep 11 would not be appropriate or just and the laws that existed before Sep 11 were not strong enough to make sure he would face the death penalty!

• bullocks | May 09, 2011, 03:53 AM EDT

  seanomelbourne- who said you have to discuss it with him. you just have to abide by the law. Take him to court.and if found guilty then take the necessary action. Now its America who look like bullies in the playground.

• DennisQ | May 09, 2011, 12:29 AM EDT

  America's boldest warriors - the Navy SEALs who we send on our most dangerous assignments - appear to have been afraid of bin Laden. We're hearing stories about frail women "lunging" at the commandos; no wonder she was shot!
  
  It doesn't look good that our well-trained commandos couldn't subdue bin Laden with a karate chop. Maybe they'll go back to the original story that their orders were to kill him, not take him alive. That's a more plausible story than the notion that they all forgot their hand-to-hand fighting skills at once.

• seanomelbourne | May 08, 2011, 07:37 PM EDT

  It's difficult to discuss justice with those who are blinded by hate.

• bullocks | May 08, 2011, 04:44 PM EDT

  I'm glad to see you all have such faith in your judicial system. The general theme of your arguments for the alleged murder of an unarmed man(mass murderer or not) is that you feel inadequate to deal with him properly."He would have lawyered up"." So we'll shoot him dead instead". A sad day for justice.Not only must Justice be done; it must also be seen to be done.

• sallygeyer | May 08, 2011, 12:25 PM EDT

  He would have lawyered up. Gotten a trial. Requested an appeal if found guilty and we would have him sitting in a prison funded by tax dollars for years until the appeal system was over.

• Jimsales74 | May 08, 2011, 07:57 AM EDT

  Here's the ONE reason why bin Laden could NOT be taken alive. He had been dead since December of 2001. The funny thing is this: when Bush denied that claim,liberals around the world said that Bush wouldn't admit Osama was dead because it would weaken his justification for war. Additionally, according to the FBI, there is no evidence that bin Laden was involved in 9/11; all we had was the Bush administration's accusation which the liberals called propaganda. Bush's word has now been transformed into immutable fact by Obama. So, it would seem that Bush was right all along! But now, since it's Obama telling the 'bin Laden did 9/11 story,' everyone yells hell yea! And the facts, such as he was probably dead years--according to numerous sources like the NY Times and Israeli Intelligence--before he was "buried at sea," are called crazy conspiracy theories. And to top it all off, the media touts the White House story of an anonymous al Qaeda source as proof positive that Obama is telling telling the truth. Hey, would al Qaeda tell a lie? Kool-Aide anyone? PS. RE, #7. The CIA created al Qaeda while George the First was its director in order to fight the Soviets. They laundered our portion of the funding through the Saudis. As to exactly when our tax dollars stopped funding bin Laden, al Qaeda, and our ex-buddies, the Tali ban, is very fuzzy.

• antoman | May 08, 2011, 07:26 AM EDT

  Revenge is a dish best served cold.Why take him alive and risk numerous hostage situations by radical groups requesting his release or else?Live by the gun, die by the gun.

• maireadinmelb | May 08, 2011, 03:49 AM EDT

  Whilst I agree with you Patrick, I note that the propoganda caused by such a trial would be on going and horrific, and what if there was not enough evidence to prove a murder charge??? Apply laws and punishments made after the date of teh crime would make him an ever bigger martyr to those who share his views!

• seanomelbourne | May 07, 2011, 09:31 PM EDT

  It is better to pursue justice than revenge.

• Ajreaper | May 07, 2011, 09:30 PM EDT

  LOL, the founding fathers? What kind of idiotic horse crap is that? The founding fathers could not even imagine a world with men like Osama so how in the hell can you say what they'd think or believe? You are a silly, silly man sirpeter- the founding fathers led a country to war against the prevailing world power over taxes and a lack of representation I don't think they'd think twice about killing a man who had a hand in the murder of thousands. It's best you not say anything has you are showing yourself to be a complete loon.

• clonmel21 | May 07, 2011, 08:35 PM EDT

  On your 10 Points: 1. Did he give the victims a fair chance? 2. That dose not make any sense. 3. We wanted the Russians to kill him. 4. Do you really think he cares about what the families have to say; if he did then he would not have killed 3000 of them. 5. By your way of thinking he would have been given his Miranda Rights, Lawyered up, and shut up; ergo no info from him you dupe. 6. What happened to your statement about Hitler and Nuremberg? No Military Tribunal? 7. Again Miranda. 8. Who cares about the anti-American hysteria, do we have to bow down to every other country in the world so we "look good". They could care less. 9. And if people like you were on the Jury he would be found NOT GUILTY! Great system. 10. Again you make no sense, what the heck does that have to do with anything.

• dublinguy | May 07, 2011, 08:16 PM EDT

  okay lets reverse the situation, lets just say the seals that raided bin ladens compound were caught by surprise & most of the seal team were killed & bin laden got away, what would the 10 reasons be then, oh' i know 10 reasons why the seals should have killed him via snipers bullet, because anyone that thinks he should have been captured are a bunch of hypocritical donkeys, the (SOB) got just what he deserved bullet in the head, and i fully agree with ( jerrylynch ) everyone loves to hate the usa until their sorry asses need help & then they come crying for the usa to bail them out.

• DennisQ | May 07, 2011, 07:51 PM EDT

  Government leaders often substitute their own personal sense of righteousness for what the law requires. But eventually their sense of what is righteous yields to what is simply convenient. In the end, they're not following the law at all; they're just doing what they feel like doing.
  
  Nixon bombed Cambodia because the North Vietnamese were retreating over the border. It was illegal and he knew it, but justice was served. Then Nixon set up a unit of secret operatives to find out who was leaking government secrets; they called themselves "the plumbers." Ultimately Nixon dispatched the plumbers to break into Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office and find something they could use to punish Ellsberg for leaking classified documents to the New York Times. Nixon lader claimed that whatever the president does is legal because the president doesn't have to obey the law.
  
  We are now hearing the same kind of end-justifies-the-means arguments from Obama's defenders. After all, sending in a team of assassins served a righteous purpose. "Justice was served," said Obama.
  
  Beware of government leaders who claim they have the right to break the law for the sake of the greater good. They will soon be up to mischief, if they aren't already. Nixon's plumbers unit didn't start out as common burglars, but they ended up that way. Eventually Obama's assassination squad may end up as ordinary hit men; what's to stop them? Everybody's cheering for them today, and there's no formal accountabiility for what politicians may order them to do tomorrow.
  
  To the very end, Nixon denied being a crook. That's because he never broke the law except in the interest of some higher purpose.

• sirpeter | May 07, 2011, 07:23 PM EDT

  @rpmschevy..That's crap.Every human being deserves respect.It's a fundamental human right no matter who or what they have done. So because he wasn't American it doesn't matter about applying justice.You would make a fine Judge in Nazi Germany.

• sirpeter | May 07, 2011, 07:05 PM EDT

  @MarthaAnne..It's nice to see you are seeing the bigger picture.The American Constitution was written up for the people by very clever men.The American Constitution and laws are there to,first and foremost protect us from ourselves. That is why we have laws. If he was killed when he could have been captured and we don't know that for sure. Then I think liberties were taken and the founders of the American Constitution would not be pleased.

• RthrBHistCorr | May 07, 2011, 06:05 PM EDT

  It all looks easy Pat when you are writing from the safety of your easy chair in your nice safe office doesn't it? Have you ever been in a combat situation Pat? This was a real life situation Pat, where life and death decisions that effect you and your teammates have to be made in a split second, it's not SOCOM4 on a Playstation where it you get killed you get to try again Osama got a funeral, his body was prepared as per his faith. That's a lot more than most of the victims, including two close friends who were never recovered, on 9/11 received.

• Ajreaper | May 07, 2011, 04:14 PM EDT

  To many silly assumptions are made- why would Osama care what victims families thought of him? He would not. Why would he volunteer any information about funding or anything else? He would not. A trial of Osama would not change what people thought of the U.S. our friends and those who dislike us would be unswayed by placing Osama on trial- the masses who are swayed by radical Islam are by and large far from educated free thinkers they believe what they are told to believe. Truth is he got better then he deserved which was a quick death- you don't get to declare war on the U.S. then expect to be afforded rights you yourself have never believed in or advocated for others.

• JerryLynch | May 07, 2011, 03:42 PM EDT

  I think the US should have captured bin Laden, tried him in Scotland and let them hold him. Wait...they did that with Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, the Libyan who was convicted in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. But didn't Scotland release him from jail last year because he was "dying" from cancer? Libya took him for "humanitarian reasons" to live out his last tragic days in Libya. Through the miracle of Allah, he's evidently been cured and has been living many happy "last days" in freedom. I'm sure that the same humanitarian actions would have taken for bin Laden after his conviction due to his need for kidney dialysis. During that arrest, conviction, imprisonment and humanitarian release time-frame, how many innocent hostages would have been taken and beheaded to trade for bin Laden's release? It's not the US that should be having to show the world that they're "better than everyone else," it's we in the rest of the world that should be thanking them every time they respond to disasters and terrorists attacks. Someday the US is going to say, "You take care of it" and then we'll see how much they're missed...

• traveler51 | May 07, 2011, 03:18 PM EDT

  Yesterday, people complained about the risks and cost of Pres. Obama's visit to Ireland for one day. Can you imagine the risk and cost of keeping Osama during a trial? Just the decision of what kind and where the trial would be, would take who knows how long. You can't have it both ways.

• seagreen | May 07, 2011, 03:15 PM EDT

  Ten reasons to have killed Bin Ladin 1.... Saddam's grave in Tikrit is now a shrine and rallying point for his followers 2.... A trial in the US would go on for years, and spawn cult groups to support him. 3.....Potential for violence, and the propagation of his will as long as he is alive 4.....The rest of the world has long since lost any respect for the US, they are just afrid of us. 5.....Capture and a trial would send a message to others that we have a problem meaning what we say 6 3000 dead people (mostly Americans)who never had their day in court 7 As long as the predator drones keep wiping out innocent people in villages, we are lying through our teeth about justice 8 Dead men do not talk, or refute information that has been put out as fact. 9.....Justification of expenditures in the billions over ten years 10....The fear that what he might have said in a trial, is something that the US government and its appendages would not want the American public to hear !

• paddyRanger | May 07, 2011, 02:57 PM EDT

  5.Interrogation of Osama would have revealed much more about Al Qaeda. These guys sing like canaries when caught -- See Khalid Mohammed.............only trouble is anyone interrogating him would then be investigated under orders from Obama ........under Obama they would not sing

• rugbyplayer | May 07, 2011, 02:17 PM EDT

  Nonsense! Bun Laden got what he deserved. USA go after the rest of these murderers!

• PhlutiePhan | May 07, 2011, 02:07 PM EDT

  Just why do you think that Georgie Patton was "put on hold" in the rush to Berlin. There was an agreement to allow the Russians first access. They wanted Hitler so that they could literally cut him into tiny little pieces. So much for your belief that the US wanted to put him on trial.

• LouGuyt | May 07, 2011, 01:56 PM EDT

  To think that there are people who think it's OK to murder others! To think that people will vote for Obama because he ordered this murder! What is this obsession we have for killing others? The commandment that says, "Thou shalt not kill," does not say "except...." We need something closer to the Brehon laws - and no death penalty EVER. I agree with everything in this article.

• semperfidelis | May 07, 2011, 01:12 PM EDT

  One last thing. I can see it now, instead of killing him, we take bin Laden into custody, haul his butt back to the USA. He immediately lawyers up, getting an ACLU fire breathing type,probably with a ponytail. Prelim hearing goes like this America the great satan, blah, blah, blah, Osama a freedom fighter for oppressed people everywhere, blah blah, blah. In meantime he and his mouthpiece get invited on the view, oprah, etc, and given sympathy and understanding.Chris Matthews and his ilk get that old tingling feeling up their leg.Finally after 10 years go by, a judge finally rules that all the evidence collected when osama was snatched up is inadmissable at trial( no search warrant, no miranda rights, etc. don't you know)so justice dept. has to drop case and he goes free. Before leaving he gets largest fee ever from a US publishing house to write his memoirs, netting him millions to help finance future acts of violence against "the man". What a joke, justice was done, this killing was JUSTIFIED.

• Searlit | May 07, 2011, 12:49 PM EDT

  The only thing I can say is that Osama Bin Laden had escaped justice, at every turn. There is a good chance that the small military force sent to take him out, may not have made it out alive themselves, if they tried to take him prisoner. Remember, he had been living in a country that was supposed to be our ally. I don't like to see anyone killed. Sometimes, however, it is the only feasible option. Self-defense.

• semperfidelis | May 07, 2011, 12:23 PM EDT

  DennisQ, I bet if you came face to face with any Navy Seal, you wouldn't tell them what a coward they are. They didn't know going in that this mass murderer would be so stupid as to be unharmed. And by the way, there is plenty to celebrate and be thankful for in this country. You obviously live in the world of effect( wishes, dreams, try, if only, maybe, etc) some of us live in the world of cause ( do or do not, yes or no, commitment, results, take responsibility, I did it). You might give it a try and be less negative for a change, insha allah

• semperfidelis | May 07, 2011, 12:13 PM EDT

  To all you feckless and weak kneed folks, the usual suspects, who are ringing your hands over the "evil" acts taken which ended the wasted, murderous life of poor osama, who if given the chance would have had one of his zombies snatch the life from you w/out batting an eye, consider this; you have a killer in your neighborhood, you find out he is plotting to visit your house 1st chance he gets,do you wait until he does, do you go to his house with a lawyer and restraining order, do you go and try and subdue him and wait for the cops to come and take him to jail or do you call swat and let them take care of business. Bullocks, while I usually disagree with your opinion I must say you are right on the money with the handle you gave yourself, and by the way when the usa does the right thing as it certainly did in this situation, if the rest of the world doesn't like it, that's their problem not ours

• blackbearpause | May 07, 2011, 12:07 PM EDT

  OMG! This was not a simploe criminal capture. It was a Military operation.With our present court system he most likely would have gotten off any way. Such a hearing would cost millions, and his groupies would most likely cause much more trouble and even free him. I think if Obama found a cure for cancer perple would bitch because he put oncologists out of business.The man was a horrible mass murder and got what he deserved.

• mlawless | May 07, 2011, 11:48 AM EDT

  All deserve a fair trial. This is a basic principle of western legal traditions and what in the past has separated USA from despots and criminals. Woe to America as our violence escalates.

• johhnyb | May 07, 2011, 11:45 AM EDT

  Wasn't Irish Central jumping up and down with glee at Bin Laden's death just a couple of days ago? What has changed your opinion?

• Paradigm | May 07, 2011, 11:33 AM EDT

  CORRECTION - sorry. Obviously Mt Roberts has little experience of out-of-theatre military operations. Much more attention needs to be given to the not infrequent executions of folk with 'special-needs'. I can think of one case where the U.S. has been complicit with the U.K. of psychological torture of an individual with Aspergers syndrome for almost a decade. Justice - come down to earth Mr Roberts

• Paradigm | May 07, 2011, 11:31 AM EDT

  Obviously Mt Roberts has little experience of out-of-theatre military operations. Much more attention to the not infrequent executions of folk with 'special-needs'. I can think of one case where the U.S. has been complicit with the U.K. of psychological torture of an individual with Aspergers syndrome for almost a decade. Justice - come down to earth Mr Roberts.

• Irishphotograph | May 07, 2011, 11:18 AM EDT

  And 11...it would have should him to be just a common criminal...

• jamthecat | May 07, 2011, 11:08 AM EDT

  I agree with you, Patrick, though I have to say it's better than he was killed instead of another American soldier. And we can dismiss those who say he didn't deserve equal treatment under the law because they've proven themselves to be nothing but incoherent bullies and brainless twits who do not care about American values. Still I have to ask -- do you feel the same way about the other "terrorists" held at Guantanamo? Or do you agree with the administration's ludicrous decision to use military tribunals for their trials instead of our criminal justice system?

• cillowen | May 07, 2011, 10:47 AM EDT

  one overriding reason, the friends of the binladens family would end up being the focus - and we don't want that, do we. The 10 listed reasons fugget 'bout it.

• IAPRINCESS | May 07, 2011, 10:41 AM EDT

  Ten points of crap. BinLaden did not hesitate to kill all those people and it would have been more if the other plane had reached its target. Get REAL the B-----d got what he deserved.

• wjb1tex | May 07, 2011, 10:32 AM EDT

  To be prosecuted by this Justice Department? I hate to even contemplate that.

• manhattan | May 07, 2011, 10:32 AM EDT

  Can you imagine what a circus it would be to let that pig live? Better dead and good riddance. His burial at sea was more then he deserved. Most people killed in the towers,pentagon and the plane that went down in shanksville didn't have enough body parts to be given a burial. May he rot in hell.

• slainte9 | May 07, 2011, 10:24 AM EDT

  You're joking, obviously. So am I? Excuse us Mr. Bin Laden, Sir. May we please read you your Miranda rights. Please don't reach for a gun, make any sudden moves or call for help. We are required to advise you that should you reach for a weapon or call for help (from the thousands of potentially hostile Muslims surrounding us) that we are authorized to use deadly force to apprend you. Smile for the camera, please... sir, Mr. Bin Laden.

• MarthaAnne | May 07, 2011, 10:18 AM EDT

  To Superb54 "Perhaps you are right and Bin Laden should have been captured; however, it was discovered (when his computer was seized) that they were planning on "revisiting America" and planning an "anniversar attack" Well, there are ALWAYS good "reasons" not to allow for a fair trial. We can always come up with some excuse not to operate as a nation that upholds the Constitution, I guess. But I don't want to go down that path. The writers of the Constitution were not stupid. They knew that there could appear to be compelling reasons to go ahead with a fast execution. That's why they put it in writing what procedures must take place. They didn't put in any exceptions, did they? "Oh, wait, this person might have already given orders to kill some people. Let's kill him now, no trial." I really don't think that our founders wanted that!

• MarthaAnne | May 07, 2011, 10:13 AM EDT

  Really excellent post, serpenter. But, sadly, I don't think that the average person realizes that s/he he is not being told what is really going on. It's HARD to get a more objective report on what is going on! Any mainstream media outlet is inadequate. I try to look at something like "Democracy Now" to get a little more factual information, but even that is not adequate. Re: the killing of Bin Laden: I was not there when it happened and there is the off chance that it was in self defense that the Seals shot him dead, but I highly doubt it. So, here is my remark: What's this business with Obama ordering shoot to kill? He had no right to do that! This is not how the U.S. Constitution is written! What about the fair trial? OK, I understand very well the argument that we cannot have a fair trial very easily with someone of his reputation, but it must be remembered that the writers of the Constitution insisted on a trial, not arbitrary execution. I really did not expect to read and see how so many elected officials (my Democrat U.S. Senator, a liberal, included) blithely accepted this shoot to kill policy and rejoiced when it was carried out. I just don't get it. Is there something wrong with me? I don't think so. I think that we have been losing any regard for the Constitution, that's all. SO SAD.

• MickRegan | May 07, 2011, 10:02 AM EDT

  OBL was the symbolic head of AlQaeda, but as they're such a disparate group he probably wouldn't even have been aware of the finer details of any new terrorist attack plans. Hence worth more dead from a political viewpoint, than alive from a strategic one.

• Superb54 | May 07, 2011, 09:45 AM EDT

  Perhaps you are right and Bin Laden should have been captured; however, it was discovered (when his computer was seized) that they were planning on "revisiting America" and planning an "anniversar attack"! While I realize 10 years has passed and people tend to forget, do you think he would have gotten a fair trial? Not here in America! If these attacks happened in Ireland, how would Ireland have handled things? It is easy to condemn without all the facts. I do not believe in senseless killings, but I am sure there are things laypeople will never know about regarding military operations (and that goes for all countries).

• bullocks | May 07, 2011, 03:49 AM EDT

  semperfidelis your reference to the 2nd and 6th points are linked . the reason they hate you is because you dont "give a crap what the world thinks".its your problem not ours.

• DennisQ | May 07, 2011, 03:30 AM EDT

  The number one reason to capture Osama alive is that it's the honorable thing to do. It doesn't take any guts to shoot an unarmed man. In most circumstances it's considered cowardly.
  
  The real reason for the celebration is that there's nothing else to cheer about. The war in Iraq has been a loser from the second week till the present. The war in Afghanistan hasn't been a winner at any time. Our options in both places are the same - leave with our tails between our legs; or simply leave. We can continue to send troops to both places but nothing good will come of it, and everybody knows it.
  
  Comes now the news that a band of assassins has sneak-snuffed Osama bin Laden. Wild cheering! Shouts of USA! USA! But everyone privately harbors a secret suspicion that great nations aren't supposed to rely on night time assassinations. That's why they're so insistent that we did the right thing.

• seanomelbourne | May 07, 2011, 02:30 AM EDT

  The world gives a dam the right in the U.S. does not. You have been conditioned to believe you are better than any one else. You exist on God, guns and a xenophobic attitude to other nations.No wonder your a laughing stock oversees.Maybe you should take a look as to why you are falling behind, economically and in the respect you once had. Your fed a dose of fairy tales and you believe them.

• semperfidelis | May 06, 2011, 11:32 PM EDT

  # 9, think the O.J. Simpson trial and for instance the upcoming circus that will be the casey anthony trial was and will be a farce, multiply that my a number into infinity and you my be close to what a cluster you know what any trial of bin laden would have been. Plus it would have been like a pilgrimage to mecca for every real terriost and terriost wanna be to come to nyc and try and cause mayhem . Amazing that those most at risk for potential acts of violence in this country, i.e. NYC, seem to be most opposed to the actions necessary to try and prevent it from happening, or at least a segment of those living there. Get a clue. In war which this is started by the enemy not us, you win by killing the enemy not by lawyering them to death. See revolutionary war, civil war, ww1 and ww2 for reference.

• semperfidelis | May 06, 2011, 11:21 PM EDT

  Not a single one of these reasons have one iota of merit. I will address just a few of them specifically.# 2) Those parts of the world that hate us will never respect us no matter what we do. #3, Bin Laden got what he deserved, death at the hands of the U.S military, he was at war with us, he wasn't sticking up banks for God's sake. # 4, a big waste of time, he would not have cared and probably would have smirked throughout, causing further pain to his victims families. # 5, This would have been totally useless, any method that might have gotten him to spill the beans is now forbidden by the obama admin. thanks to naive and misguided sensitivities to so called civli rights, Lord have mercy. # 6, who gives a crap what the " world thinks", most of it resents us, no matter what; until it needs us to bail their ass out of the crisis du jour of course. To be continued.

• seanomelbourne | May 06, 2011, 07:23 PM EDT

  The disinformation and misinformation surrounding the capture of UBL leaves me to believe he died in a hail of bulls--t.

• sirpeter | May 06, 2011, 05:57 PM EDT

  Big Mistake.I honestly don't think the ordinary American people realize the road they are been brought down by the American government in the last 60 years. The idea of democracy is that all citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives.If a people are not presented with the true facts by your government and the media.Then you cannot claim to have a democracy. We get so used to the lies our government's tell us we take it as the norm and we know our politicians tell lies because they get caught out from time to time.The question is how many lies do they get away with.Ordinary people in general in their hearts want to do the right thing. I believe governments know this and that is why they control the media when it comes to very important decisions. Those of us who are trying to figure out the truth are left with only our gut feeling. This feeling we get deep down is pretty accurate if we listen closely to it

• sirpeter | May 06, 2011, 05:56 PM EDT

  (cont) If a government seeks the mass mobilization of a nation through indoctrination (media)using fear (WMD's)and telling you there are other nations and people out to get you.Believe that a nation requires strong leadership and the will and ability to commit violence and wage war in order to keep the nation strong and safe,exalt militarism and gives you the feeling someone is looking over your shoulder(Patriot Act)Then call it democracy if you want to fool yourself. But my gut feeling tells me otherwise.My gut feeling tells me those things are closer to FASCISM then Democracy. I believe in the fullness of time the American people will realize the power's of The Patriot Act and how it will become more useful in suppressing the American people rather then any foreign or domestic acts of violence.People think they are free until they pull against the peg.That leash has become considerable shorter since 9/11. That my friends is the real payback Osama Bin Laden gave the American people for it's interference in the middle east.Osama Bin Laden could have never taken your freedom.But he knew who could.

• DennisQ | May 06, 2011, 03:39 PM EDT

  Taking Osama bin Laden alive would have shown confidence in our legal system, if in fact we had confidence in our legal system - but we don't. The people who celebrate the assassination of bin Laden know that our legal system is simply not up to the job. That's one of their main arguments. They know we can't put big criminals on trial; it would be a circus.
  
  We have a politicized justice system that favors the rich over the poor. Celebrities rarely go to jail for anything - it makes news when they do! And we've also cut corners on the standards of evidence. We've got people in prison who are going to stay there until the war on terror is over. They haven't been charged and their "confessions" have been beaten out of them.
  
  It's only a matter of time before small- and medium-size criminals are treated with the same insouciance as larger criminals are. Hunt them down and impose frontier-style justice on them. That's to say it won't be justice at all.