Thursday, May 5, 2011

Osama bin Laden and Capital Punishment

My buddy asked me to post regarding the death of Osama bin Laden. In particular, he is wondering what my more Liberal readers think regarding his death and how it relates to Capital Punishment.

My simplistic "Conservative Capital Punishment Supporting" summary is:

  • Osama was tried via the media for many violent murders.

  • He was then deemed guilty in large part due to his own recorded testimony.

  • Therefore his execution was ordered, he was then found and executed.

  • Finally he was promptly buried with little ceremony where no shrine can be erected by his supporters.

  • With no trial or grave, a great deal of time, money and risk of martyrdom was saved.


Here are some links to different views and information. I think the situation was handled very well. What do you think...



  • Should he have been given a trial?

  • Should his people have buried him?

  • Was it a legal action?

  • Did his actions justify Capital Punishment, or should he have spent life in prison?


CNN Castro slams Assasination
CNN Killing of bin Laden: Was it legal?
Fox News: Within Reach of 2 Weapons
The Australian: Al-Jazeera Mourns
PBS: Many Angles

4 comments:

  1. UnknownMay 5, 2011 at 5:17 PM

    I support the deadly action taken against Bin Laden for all the reasons John summarized. This is inconsistent with my staunchly anti capital punishment views. Capturing Saddam Hussein, holding, trying, convicting and executing him in Baghdad over the span of three years worked out all right, but a Bin Laden trail would have been much more consequential on a national and international scale.

    From the reports there seems to have been just cause enough to shoot Osama and not put the team of Navy seals at greater risk. I'm glad they didn't go in and find him completely unarmed, sleeping and easy to capture.

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  2. jerrye92002May 5, 2011 at 8:19 PM

    Answers: no, no, no and yes.

    By sketchy accounts, now that "the most transparent administration in history" has clammed up, he WAS sleeping and unarmed when he was shot. Too bad for him, good for us.

    I believe in capital punishment for some crimes and criminals, but not as it is currently is practiced in the US, with the anti-cp people making it difficult beyond reason. If anybody deserved what he got, OBL was it.

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  3. AnonymousMay 6, 2011 at 1:22 PM

    I guess it fits the definition of capital punishment, but I think of it more as an assssination or an act of war.

    There was no doubt of his guilt, he had no nation to claim him or hold him accountable, his capture would have endangered more lives than his death (hostages, targeted attacks on his behalf), and I think it was a valid military action.

    I applaud the Navy SEALS, the CIA, and the decision-makers who made this happen.

    --Annie

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  4. JohnMay 9, 2011 at 10:44 PM

    I'll report back to my friend that even my most Liberal readers agreed that Osama got his well earned just rewards.

    Though I am going to post soon regarding who you think is closer to God's intent? The religious Fundamentalists/zealots that live in the past or the religious Progressives that keep making their religions more politically correct. Give it some thought for later this week...

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