There is no doubt Bin Laden was a man without scruples who relentlessly caused misery and heartache to thousands of people but I am uneasy that he has been assassinated without the benefit of trial. When I heard the news I felt the only outcome from this action would be reprisals. Violence begets violence. It is cosmic law. At the end of a fair and open trial, if the law allowed it, he probably would've been executed, at the very least he would have spent life in prison but this execution gives those dissatisfied individuals more reason to make a martyr of him and kill in his name.
I find it hard to believe that a supposedly civilized society has resorted to this. Surely, even in the heat of battle, bin Laden could have been disabled enough to take his weapon from him. The Navy Seals would have been briefed. They would know what he looked like. Yes, they had to protect their own lives but I can't see how ... ah, just heard on the news that Bin Laden was apparently unarmed. That makes this even worse.
The world witnessed the Nuremberg trials as well as the trial of Saddam Hussein among others. One of Bin Laden's co-conspirators awaits trial in Guantanamo Bay. It is not without precedent to bring the face of evil into the confines of a courtroom. Why not Bin Laden? Are we really so hungry for revenge killing? If we are to save ourselves and our planet we have to lift our game. That means not only treating each other with fairness, even those among us who have done great evil, but the animals that share this world with us.
There is tragedy at this place too. A few nights ago a fruit bat electrocuted itself on the wires between the house and the road. The following night, another bat, perhaps its mate, electrocuted itself right next to the first one. Terrible things surround us. On the way home I saw a dead cat at the Tent Hill turnoff. It looked like a Siamese. Then, near the rest area by Ma Ma Creek, I saw a kitten perhaps 12 weeks old, hobbling across the road holding its right hind leg in the air. It was a spotted kitten. I pulled over, to the wrong side of the road, and tried to coax it to me but it ran into the long grass of the verge. And I cry with the sadness of it. I know I can't save everything. That there are creatures every second of every day who endure great suffering. If I were Buddhist and evolved I would be able to, with compassion, remove my own suffering at their suffering. Because there is nothing I can do except pray for the release and relief of all suffering.
Went to yoga last night. Good as always. Still trembling with weakness in poses. Still improving albeit slowly. Was inordinately pleased to get a 'good Holly!' from Jen while doing a pose. Should be over that need for validation. Guess I won't be until I'm dead. During the meditation after class, and Jen has this great tape of men ohming Buddhist or Tibetan like ohns in layered harmony while waves hiss and crash in the background, I wandered in and out of focus as usual. But then for a moment, I found this dark quiet peaceful point at the center. And cried. Not weeping, just tears forming beneath my eyelids. Why? Because I was filled with such yearning. Yearning for that peace, when all this prickly brittle seeming reality surrounding me shatters and I come home.
