Was Osama bin Laden Innocent?

I argue that it is always wrong to kill another human being (unless they request it). Some would argue that killing Osama bin Laden is not only acceptable, but worthy of celebration because he is responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent civilians.

Who determines a person's innocence? Bin Laden did not think those people he is responsible for killing were innocent. Many Americans don't believe bin Laden is innocent. Were the people who died with bin Laden innocent? Is collateral damage an acceptable consequence of killing a person who isn't innocent?

The fact is that no one thinks the people they are killing are innocent. The bad guy never thinks he's the bad guy. We must be careful when we try to justify murder. Bin Laden can use the same justifications against the United States that we make against him. Who is right? We believe we are. He believed he was. We must move away from binary interpretations of good and bad. Just because there is a bad guy, doesn't mean there must be a good guy.

Killing another human against their will is always wrong. To cease justifying murder is the only path to a more peaceful world. The United States is far and away the most powerful entity on the planet. Thus, the U.S. must begin the cycle of peace. This comes from recognizing that all murder is wrong, regardless of the circumstance.