A Time to Reflect on Terrorism and Life

Today is a day to reflect on terrorism, our war on terrorism and our respect for life. Last night when I heard that Osama Bin Laden was killed, I was grateful that at last our country had accomplished a key security objective. We had finally got the man responsible for the thousands of American deaths within the boundaries of our country's borders.

In contrast, I was a little distressed in the jubilation shown in the news reports of people celebrating Bin Laden's death. Don't get me wrong; Bin Laden was an evil man and deserved to be captured, tried, and punished for the crimes he committed. Unfortunately he did not allow himself to be captured but chose to be killed instead.

This experience made me remember the summer of 1987. Pierre Dale Selby was executed for the HiFi Murders in Ogden, Utah. I remember feeling that the execution not only was necessary but that it was also our darkest obligation to society. There is nothing to be joyful of or to celebrate. We owed it to the concepts of justice that we punished those who committed unspeakable crimes against society. How can we find joy in the loss of any life who has not lived it well.

Life is too sacred. We are to reverence it. To celebrate an execution or the death of a murderer such as Bin Laden is to offend the inherent divinity that each human possesses. It is to move us closer to the evil of those like Bin Laden, those who deny the divinity of the community of mankind.

So let us continue to pursue the evil extremists who have fought against us. Let us capture or kill those who merit justice. I hope that we are able to gather more evidence to identify them. I hope we find and punish all who deserve it. I also hope we show them respect so that we maintain that which makes us more like the people we are destined to be.