Boston Bombing aftermath, any similarity to the Lincoln assassination aftermath?

[Laurie Verge]

Jenny, I think you have made some very valid points here in trying to imagine what the underlying causes of Booth's act might have been. I agree that you cannot compare his actions during a time of civil war, political and social upheaval, etc. with those of history's serial killers. To me, their motivations are like the proverbial apples and oranges.

I have sat back and watched this discussion and stayed quiet (which is very unusual for me!). I just have one thought running through my head, and I know that I will catch flak for it: Osama bin Laden was responsible for the deaths of thousands of people (not just on 9/11 and not just Americans). Politics aside, was it okay for Barack Obama to give the order to have him killed by our Navy Seals?

Did that order make Obama and the Seal who fired the shot assassins? Criminally insane? What? Or, could we just say that it was a perceived patriotic example of a government leader (like Jefferson Davis) giving authorization to an agent (Booth) to do what needed to be done?

Chaotic times create strange occurrences, and I don't think any of us have the power to truly put ourselves in our forefathers' shoes and understand what motivated them during such unusual times.