Truth Justice and the American Way

I suppose that I should start by acknowledging that I am way out of date and have been living in some sort of surreal denial world for quite some time, but as I read yet another facebook post with AMERICA in capital letters extolling the virtue of Osama bin Laden's death I must admit that I was torn between rejoicing in the knowledge that there would be no prolonged trial - could there ever be an impartial jury for this case? and the sad fact that the man was unarmed yet shot in the head not even a debilitating wound to subdue him from his "resistance." So much for "Truth Justice and the American Way."

I asked myself what would Superman, that icon of everything American, and good, think? but oops news flash, Superman was an undocumented alien, sent here by parents who risked everything to provide him with a better life - life that they would not enjoy because of death and destruction in their homeland. Yes, Superman, it turns out, was no different than the Nicarauguan/Haitian/fillintheblankian guy that gets day work from contractors down at the local Home Depot.

But back to Bin Laden. Didn't he deserve what he got? Probably, and I would be hard pressed to find justice for the man. Never the less in his death he has brought us another step closer to his goal and miles away from our ideals. Even in death he taunts us, he points out our inconsistencies, our false self image and pulls us further down the well into his world of lies, deceit and vigilante justice.

It would be too much to ask that we as a country take a stand for what we fought for so long ago: that we remember the immigrant, that we support the rule of law and the promises made in our Bill or Rights. All I ask is a simple thing, that we acknowledge that our flag waving is merely a way to cover our shame. That we realize why no medal should be struck for the otherwise brave man who fired that fatal shot.