A Dose of Reality, A Pinch of Honesty

I do not believe in the death penalty. I am not troubled in the least by the splendid performance of our Navy Seals, or the decision by the Commander-in-Chief to send them into action, to excuse Osama bin Laden from the planet. I preach the Bible that says that God wants to save and not condemn. Bin Laden, directly responsible for the deaths of some 3,000 people in the 9/11 attacks and indirectly responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands via his provocation (arguable) for at least two wars, had to go. We are a nation of law that seeks justice. We had no intention of arresting bin Laden and experiencing another trial like that of Saddam Hussein. I believe that everyone deserves a second chance. I cried, applauded, cheered and sang along with those in Washington and New York last night when the President made the announcement of bin Laden's killing. We will not elect a President who cannot convincingly parrot the broad, general tenets of the Christian faith. That President will not be reelected (Jimmy Carter) if he (so far) cannot lay aside that faith in the snap of the fingers. The Vatican announced today that there should be no delight in the death of any person. Too bad they couldn't figure out over the last forever that there should be no delight in or protection for child molesters.
Life is not fair. It too often makes no sense. The rules can protect the incompetent, the criminal, the evil. And an awful lot of the time they do. But this time, things are different. The bastard is dead. I'm delighted.
Life is paradoxical. Faith is often inconvenient, and therefore set aside. I know of no one who is consistent in every instance. Walt Whitman said, "Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself."
Such is life.