AIBU to think that is was quite distateful

[ModreB]

For Obama and effectively the rest of the US Govt to watch live coverage of Bin Laden being shot dead?

At least Hilary Clinton looked pretty horrified here

"I mourn the loss of thousands of previous lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy" Martin Luther King Jr.

I think what bothered me was that some of them seemed to be watching with relish, rather than the reluctance of people who had ordered something that would be unthinkable to the vast majority of people.

Regardless of what he was responsible for, this was another human life.

a "human" who had ordered and rejoiced in the death of thousands of innocent people, and who was no doubt planning to kill as many more as possible..

would you defend Hitler too?

I can see both sides of the argument.

But who decided to film it? Taking a camera person into a potentially lethal situation seems madness to me.

it was probably a camera attached to a helmet

no-one is defending him squeaky. but i will NOT rejoice or celebrate the fact that a man was killed in cold-blood instead of being given a trial

was going to post that MLK quote too!

"‎"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"

-- Martin Luther King, Jr"

@ Hardhatonamission -MLK didn't actually say that. The quote is bogus.

Back on topic, Obama had to be seen to look at the footage. It wouldn't have looked good for him to be sitting in another room eating cake.

Sickening to hear Osama BinLaden used one of his wives as a human shield. Filth that he is. I have not one ounce of sympathy for him. He was dirt afaiac.

squeaky I am not defending his actions, I am saddened at the enjoyment that they seemed to get out of watching him shot in the head, which is different.

Yes, he was responsible for horrific actions, as was Hitler, but "Let no man pull you low enough to hate him." ? Martin Luther King Jr.

dontgocurly oh well the sentiment is still true and how I feel about the matter

'joy' ? I saw no joy in that photo. Concentration, perhaps, and Hillary clearly upset, but I saw a bunch of people simply watching a military action, nasty, for sure, but not watching with joy. Not a single smile or other expression of glee struck me. Unless you can identify someone who was joyful, for me, please(?)

s/joy/enjoyment - I simply shortened the word mentally before posting, ModreB

networkguy, i wasn't relly talking about the people in that picture, more the people on here, FB, everywhere who have been "whooping" and cheering the fact that a man was killed

Obama gave the order. He would not be worthy of the office if he gave such an order and then said 'Oh I can't bear to watch, tell me when its over'. I would have been shocked if he had not borne witness to what he started.

I don't think any of them look like they are particularly enjoying the experience or watching with relish. In fact considering several American troops lifes were at risk at that time, I am absoloutly sure none of them were.

I have no ounce of sympathy for Bin Laden either. I am sure the world is a better place without him. However I do think that we (as in Western Civilization as a whole) should hold ourselves to a higher standard, I don't think we should lower our ideals and compromise what we stand for by rejoicing in the killing of a 'man' without due process and a trial. It cheapens us all. I would have preferred to see him taken alive and answer before a court for what he has done.

Enjoyment? I don't see any. Perhaps you are putting your own interpretation on this.
Fwiw, I expect if you surveyed people a week ago asking if they thought it would be in the interests of justice and common good for humanity for bin laden to die, everyone would answer 'yes'. Typically, because thats now the case, some people
Now complain.
And incidentally, he had the choice to surrender first

All the navy seals will have had cameras on their helmets - apparently they are still deciding which of the videos would be best to release. While I understand the joy behind his death a big bit of me finds it really worrying that America can use torture to get people to tell them where someone is and then just go and kill them. Where does it end? Where is the line between it being justifiable and not? The US will use this to defend torture techniques such as waterboarding on suspected terrorists (and given some of the spurious reasons for suspecting people of terrorism) that worries me.

networkguy maybe I was mistaken with enjoyment. I meant it in the context that they looked satisfied.

I am a bit of a pedant regarding words and meanings - the dictionary definition of enjoyment includes that which provides satisfaction.

Am I alone to be absolutely petrified of the repercussions this is going to have around the world? It's almost like vengence has swallowed up the American people with such venom that the consequences of their desired end result - bin ladens death - have completely escaped them. Who's next? Which other nut job fanatic? Is Abu Hamza in line? or Anjem Choudary? how about fanatics for other faiths like the church in America that Louis Theroux visits? Where will it stop?

And, Obama authorised the action on Friday, (in another sovereign nation without telling them) knowing it would commence on Sunday.

He then spent Sunday morning playing golf before going back to the White House to see how the mission was going.

"Distasteful" was watching 2819 people die in the twin towers, including jumping thousands of feet to their death

"Distasteful" was watching 56 people being blown apart in the London bus/tube bombings

"distastful" was the 200+ in the Bali bombings

..... and I CBA to add in all the embassies around the world ..... frankly, some of you have very little in the way of priorities, moral decency or fibre of convictions.

Hear Hear Troisgarcons!

Anybody who condones the deaths of others without a heavy heart but instead with joy and also encouraging others to enjoy the deaths too cannot call themselves a reasonable person, a person of faith or a person of conviction in my eyes. Irrespective of religious or political leanings. I will not rejoice in the death of another human being no matter how evil their sins or cowardly their actions in life.

"I would have preferred to see him taken alive and answer before a court for what he has done."

Quite agree, BlueFergie, and I expect the military who went in were given the order to bring him out alive, if at all possible, because then he could be tried and not given an instant 'death penalty' without due process.