Thomas MacMillan Photo
Alderwoman O’Sullivan-Best.
One day after U.S. commandos took out the most wanted man in the world, some New Haven lawmakers called for a national holiday. Others argued that assassination, even of a mass murderer, is no cause for celebration.
The issue was one of two that led the Board of Aldermen into the realm of international geopolitics on Monday night in City Hall.
On the agenda at the evening’s board meeting was a resolution calling for May 2 to be recognized as “National Freedom Day” in honor of the killing of Osama bin Laden on Sunday. Also discussed was a resolution from the New Haven Peace Commission calling on Congress to end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and bring all troops home.
“National Freedom Day” failed to achieve unanimous consent; aldermen scheduled it for further discussion at an upcoming board meeting. The Peace Commission resolution passed 14 to 10 with two abstentions. Opponents of that resolution argued that if the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had been halted, bin Laden might never have been found and killed.
Before Monday evening’s meeting, Dwight Alderwoman Gina Calder explained why she and Hill Alderwoman Jacqueline James-Evans and Beaver Hills Alderwoman Claudette Robinson-Thorpe proposed the “National Freedom Day” commemoration.
For nearly a decade people have been “having to live in a state of terror” because of the actions of al Qaeda, Calder said. But on Sunday, the organization’s leadership was eliminated. “It’s definitely a monumental occasion,” Calder said.
Fair Haven Heights Alderwoman Maureen O’Sullivan-Best opposed the idea. “Personally, I wouldn’t think it would be appropriate for a holiday which is after all the anniversary of a man’s death,” she said.
She said she’d rather see Sept. 11 as a national holiday, before May 2.
“I think this is a rush to do this,” she said. “It’s not good to call for things in the heat of the moment.”
“I think we should stay away from it,” agreed Beaver Hills Alderman Carl Goldfield. “I’m happy [bin Laden] has been taken off the planet.” But now is a time for “somber reflection,” not celebration, he argued.
(Click here to read New Haven writer Jim Sleeper’s argument against national gloating.)
(As it turns out, the name “National Freedom Day” is already taken.)
Doves Beat Hawks
Another war-and-peace agenda item fared better Monday night, one that had come out of the aldermanic Human Services Committee.
“This resolution is before us at the request of the peace commission,” O’Sullivan-Best, vice-chair of the Human Services Committee ‚informed her colleagues. The resolution, calling for an end to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is similar to many that have come in years past, only the names of the wars have changed, O’Sullivan-Best said. Trillions of dollars have been spent on wars, money that could have been spent on services for citizens and veterans, she said.
East Rock Alderman Justin Elicker was the only lawmaker to comment on the proposal. “I love peace,” he began. “But I believe this resolution oversimplifies the issue.”
President Obama has said he’ll draw down troops and we should support him, Elicker said. It’s been “a relief” to have bin Laden captured and killed, Elicker said. If the federal government had followed New Haven aldermen’s advice to end the wars, bin Laden might still be alive, Elicker said.
The resolution passed, with doves outnumbering hawks 14 to 10. Aldermen Joey Rodriguez and Marcus Paca abstained. Aldermen James-Evans, Alex Rhodeen, Alfreda Edwards, and Yusuf Shah were absent. O’Sullivan-Best voted against the resolution.
“We just can’t be the world’s policeman anymore,” said Goldfield after the meeting. He voted with the doves. He said he recognizes that the U.S. cannot withdraw immediately from Iraq and Afghanistan without undesired consequences, but it must begin the process.
The death of Bin Laden will not end the constant state of terror that exists in the world. Unfortunately the Aldermen who proposed this idea represent a large portion of our nation's population who hold America as blameless and innocent for the world's current state of turmoil. This is a dangerously myopic perspective that will only perpetuate acts of violent terror.
Since 9/11 the U.S. government has killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan.So, if we are to compare body counts it appears that we have more blood on our hands than Bin Laden ever had. Also, we cannot ignore the fact that it was our government that funded and armed Bin Laden during the Afghan-Soviet war and his extremism was aided, in large part, by our own hegemonic fervor.