Conspiracy theories are nothing new. So, it’s no wonder that just 2 days after jubilant crowds gathered in New York and Washington, DC after hearing about Osama bin Laden’s death that many people are starting to wonder if he was killed. It’s interesting how many Americans believe so many conspiracy theories. Does that come from us watching too much TV or reading too much in the tabloid magazines?
Some people and you may be one of them, do not believe that we landed on the moon or that a man walked on the moon. Then, of course, there are those who still believe that Elvis is alive. That accounts for the many sightings of Elvis over the years. Then, I recall tabloid magazines reported that President Kennedy is alive but brain dead or lying in a coma somewhere. And Paul McCartney supposedly died a long time ago, according to background lyrics heard in a song with the words “Paul is dead”. The birthers believe the conspiracy theory that President Obama conspired to change his birth certificate so he could become President.
Greta Van Susterern tweeted 2 days after bin Laden’s death that a viewer E-mailed her that he does not think we really got bin Laden. Susteren tweeted back that she thinks we got bin Laden and that we landed on the moon. Skeptics will always doubt any and all proof of bin Laden’s death.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So many people are urging the Obama administration to release pictures of bin Laden. Well, we released pictures of a man walking on the moon and that did nothing to dispel those skeptics. Everyone by now knows pictures can be photo enhanced to suit any purpose. A picture is not going to answer any doubter’s doubts any more than the President’s birth certificate silenced the birther movement and Donald Trump.
Whether to release the photographs of bin Laden should be based on other considerations and not to appease the doubts of the skeptics. There are many reasons to forego releasing the photographs of bin Laden, including the grotesque nature of any photo. No matter which way President Obama decides, the debate over bin Laden’s death will probably continue as long as the debate over Elvis’ faked death and the fake moon landing. It’s in some of our DNA to be skeptical. But I, like Greta Van Susteren and others, believe we landed on the moon and that Osama bin Laden is dead.
Debbie Hines is a trial lawyer and legal and political commentator. She also contributes to the Huffington Post. She addresses issues on race and gender in law and politics. She holds a juris Doctorate from George Washington University Law School and a BA in American history from the University of Pennsylvania.