–May Osama bin Laden rot in peace!
That was my first thought after President Obama announced Sunday night that an elite team of Navy SEALS stormed bin Laden’s hideout in Pakistan and shot the ruthless, murdering cutthroat dead.
I’m not going to sound politically correct or sugarcoat the facts here.

bin Laden’s ambition in word and deed was to destroy this country and I’m an American and a New Yorker. I covered the
9-11 attack of the World Trade Center as a journalist including several funerals for Brooklyn cops and firefighters who died heroically responding to the attack.
Aside from recalling my experience in the 9-11 attack, I’m as liberal and progressive as most New Yorkers, but if someone attacks me physically, I strongly believe I have every right to defend myself.
Kudos in the killing of bin Laden is in order to the brave military men who carried out the operation and to our commander in chief, President Obama.
Indeed, Obama has been taking a lot of heat lately that is equal parts politically motivated and good old-fashioned American racism.
This bashing includes everything from Obama leading from behind to allegations he wasn’t born here to his presidency itself being un-American.
But Obama’s decision to storm bin Laden’s hideout without bombing it to smithereens was gutsy. His decision to not tip off Pakistani authorities on the raid was smart.
All-in-all, it dispels the critics who say Obama leads from behind and can’t make shrewd presidential decisions. It also greatly improved his chances for getting reelected. He’s a lot tougher than he is often portrayed.
It also made good on Obama’s promise during the last election campaign that he would get bin Laden.
As for his predecessor, George Bush, who painted himself a cowboy, I give him some reluctant credit for starting the security wheels rolling in getting the terrorist outlaws. The end result, though, is that Bush was all hat and no cattle – to use a cowboy phrase.
Now since the demise of bin Laden, a few things have to be cleared up.
Firstly, it behooves the White House to release a photo and all evidence that we did indeed get bin Laden. Not that this will stop the conspiracy theorists, but at least it won’t throw gasoline on their theories.
Additionally, it will help families of loved ones lost in the terrorist attacks find some closure.  It will also reinforce the powerful message to any person or organization that wants to do harm to our nation that while we have liberal values, we back them with might when threatened.
Obama showcased these values in the death of bin Laden by washing his body and wrapping it in a shroud according to Muslim burial laws before burying him at sea.
While some may argue that Muslim burial laws also required that bin Laden be buried in the ground, the watery grave made more sense lest a land grave become a site for would-be terrorists.
As Obama stated, it is not Muslims that are our enemies, but those that want to do America harm.
So now bin Laden is swimming with the fishes and he becomes only a footnote in the sordid chapter of American history regarding a proclaimed “War on Terror.”
Good riddance to bad rubbish!