Breaking news

I woke this morning to the news that American forces have killed Osama Bin Laden. “Justice” is a word that has been on the lips of President Obama, Prime Minister Cameron and other national leaders.

But is it justice? There is no doubt that Bin Laden has been responsible for atrocities and the deaths of thousands. But this is not justice.

Justice (in democracies) surely involves an arrest, a trial and a verdict and a sentence. Okay it seems he was resisting arrest, but his death in those circumstances is still not justice. At worst it could be seen as an execution. It could be seen by his supporters as a martyr’s death. It could be portrayed as ‘might is right’.

And am I alone at feeling distaste at the images of crowds of people in America waving flags and hollering, “USA! USA!” Change the flags and the chants and it looks like many of the anti-Western crowds we have been shown in countries that are supposedly our enemies.

How does this fit with ‘love your enemies’? Where is the humility? Where’s the grace?

Sent from my BlackBerry smartphone from Virgin Media