- the maintenance or administration of what is just, especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments
- the quality of being just, impartial, or fair
- the quality of conforming to law
- Conformity to truth, fact, or reason
(Merriam-Webster, 2012)"Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done." - President George W. Bush, September 20th, 2001
Since the wars in the Middle East began, 2,148 American men and women have lost their lives in the nation of Afghanistan in pursuit of what has been named justice. The war in Iraq began on what is often considered false pretenses with the result of 4,474 U.S. Armed Forces casualties. Over a decade of bloodshed has occurred while two man hunts ensued throughout various foreign terrain complete with intricate cave networks, mountainous earth, and dusty desert land.
"And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who lost loved ones to al-Quaida's terror: Justice has been done." - President Barack Obama, May 1, 2011
Life in and of itself is precious. Every human has inherent qualities that are worthy of positive distinction. Short of 3,000 death certificates were filed as a result of the events on September 11th, 2001. To date, 6,622 service members have died while deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. Nearly 10,000 human beings have died in connection to what all began when flight 11 hit the World Trade Center's North Tower at 8:46am EST.
Questions remain. Conspiracies flurry. Yet as justice has been declared done...ask yourself what justice means for yourself. What does justice mean for nearly 10,000 lives and the countless families affected in result. Did a sense of "justice-served" wash over the hearts of Americans on May 1, 2011? Since that date, 526 additional military personnel have died while deployed, have their families experienced that loss any differently with al-Quaida's leader now deceased?
Turn away from propaganda, step out of the mainstream on occasion and evaluate the world around you with the senses you are equipped with, the higher-decision making brain you were born with, and the consciousness only a human possesses.
"There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts." -Mahatma Gandhi
