crossing lines

Over the last couple of days, a question has been bothering me - when do the ends justify the means?

I was driving home Sunday evening, and NPR was a-buzz about President Obama's impending announcement that American forces had found and killed Osama bin Laden. I watched the speech, heard the President proudly state that Mr. bin Laden had been "brought to justice," and saw the wild demonstrations in front of the White House and across the country. Americans had literally taken to the streets, were singing the national anthem, and chanting "USA, USA, USA." The coverage looked just like the demonstrations we've seen on TV of crazed Muslims the Middle East decrying America.

And I keep thinking of this rather crude joke:

A average-looking man walks into a hotel bar, sits beside a very pretty woman, and strikes up a conversation. A couple of drinks later, he asks her: "If I gave you a million dollars in cash, would you have sex with me?" She agonizes over this for several minutes and then says, "OK - let's do it." "Then how about fifty bucks for a blow job?" She slaps him, "What kind of woman do you think I am!?" she demands self-righteously. "We've already established that, now we're just negotiating."

If you draw a line in the sand and then cross it, how different are you from someone else who draws a line in a different place but also crosses it?

How different is America from Al Qaeda? Al Qaeda tortures people, attacks countries, and acts out of anger, all without accountability.

The intelligence that helped locate Mr. bin Laden came from a prisoner interrogation at Guantanamo Bay. Many are using this to justify the existence of Guantanamo, and the methods America used/uses (extraordinary rendition, enhanced interrogation, etc.). Evidence gathered in this way is not accepted in an American court of law.

American forces invaded a sovereign state without the permission of its government to conduct the raid that killed Mr. bin Laden, and yet the US Government is now accusing Pakistan of playing a "double game." Invading a country is a criminal act, how will America be held accountable for that?

The Fifth and Sixth Amendments of the American Constitution respectively give us the right to due process, and to face our accusers in a court of law. Granted these don't apply in the case of a War, but why didn't America take the extra step of capturing Mr. bin Laden alive and trying him in open court? (Had I been President, I would have wanted him captured alive, returned to his native country of Saudi Arabia, and demanded that he be tried in public court in that country, by its citizens.)

Al Qaeda is a terrorist organization that does evil things in the name of religion. Its members are criminals and must be brought to justice. They interpret a book of laws (the Quran) in a way that makes it convenient to commit acts of terror and violence. The Quran does not preach violence and anger - hundreds of millions of peaceable Muslims are proof of that. But it, like the Bible have been selectively interpreted by bad people to justify evil acts.

There is a quote that is falsely attributed to Martin Luther King Jr. but is still worth reading: ‎I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

America is a nation founded by people of integrity - its principles and laws were conceived and crafted by brilliant men who understood the power of freedom, the path to prosperity, and the fallibility of man. The Declaration of Independence and Constitution were written to guide this country towards a future different from the oppressive Britons of that time; one that would form a republic governed by the people, and guided by the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

It is an incredible country, which despite its size has been pivotal in shaping the path of this entire planet for decades.

I can't help but wonder if by crossing our own line in the sand, we have turned what was a brilliant beacon of hope into a fifty dollar hooker.