Should we be happy/celebrate when terrorists get killed?

[noname223]

The US killed a very high terrorist in Afghanistan. I can remember when Bin-Laden was killed. They celebrated it in front of the White House. In my country there was the question whether we really should celebrate when a human being gets killed.
Difficult ethical question.

I can understand that it can feel good when people feel more safe. For some there is also a sentiment of gratification. But I am against the death penalty. Though killing a terrorist is different to the usual death penalty. Sometimes it can be really difficult to catch them alive.

I think here in this forum a lot of people also see something positive in death. So maybe the death penalty/getting killed is not as bad as rotting in jail forever.
I think this is an interesting point. But this probably also depends on whether the individual wants to continue living and whether s/he clings to life.

What is your opinion on that?

 

[Doombox]

Killing a terrorist is an unpleasant but sometimes necessary job if it will save many lives. Perhaps it's not the death that is celebrated so much as all the world being slightly more tilted towards wellbeing. I'm sure the terrorist views their death as a negative but they can't possibly be surprised by it.

 

[Life_and_Death]

I personally feel grateful that people aren't suffering as much however I feel sorry for the story that lead the terrorist to this point.

 

[LifeHasNoOptIn]

One groups "terrorist" is another groups "freedom fighter", so I would say that one is completely subjective. The US has a history of erasing a high profile "leader" on a seemingly regular basis and not surprisingly there always seems to be another to step in and take their place. I am deeply cynical of anything the US government claims(or just about any govt for that matter) regardless of who is in charge as it is usually backed by an agenda. Chances are these people have in fact done terrible things in the name of their cause, but so have many goverments including the US so it's hard to justify acting as the ultimate judge in such matters or take joy from the death of a human being I know literally nothing about other than they did nothing to me. The morality of the whole thing is complicated to be sure, but then again, morality is literally nothing but a human construct that we created to guide our existence so it can be bent to fit agendas like so many other things we made up like "the sanctity of life".

 

[veryhappyhuman]

Extrajudicial killings shouldn't be a thing, no matter how much of a scumbag the killed person is. Sure, lock him up or even give him the death penalty ultimately, but at least allow him to argue his case. This isn't war for someone to be simply executed on the spot. Today's it is legit terrorists, so acceptable, but what if tomorrow (for example) there's a far right US Prez who decides anyone left of center is a threat and decides to drone-strike leaders of leftist orgs in other countries? Or maybe the other way round?

It's really just well-armed countries like US flexing their might on the rest of the world, honestly. "Of course I can fly my drone in your country's airspace and kill someone I don't like, what are you gonna do about it?"