"Find the Bad Guys and Kill Them"

Did I hear that right? Did Mitt Romney really say that in the second debate? I caught some of the post-commentary of the last debate and this was from a “lowlight” clip. I’m glad the media had the sense to note that this was not the highest level of Christian thinking from someone asking to lead the country, but was equally surprised that the comments on his comments danced right around that phrase. I believe Jesus said:

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”

Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and a few others could teach Mitt something about what that quote means and of course, I don’t expect a privileged Republican to rise to the standard of such exalted company. But to say on national TV “find the bad guys and kill them” without a trace of shame while proclaiming himself a moral Christian worthy of the Presidency was quite an amazing moment in the campaign. I would say Mitt is about the same level as a second grader asked how to deal with evil in the world. I love 2^nd graders, but my job is to educate them to a higher level of compassion. And I certainly wouldn’t want one to run the country.

Not that I haven’t had the thought myself, starting as early as 2^nd grade and continuing on up through the Bush years in fits and starts. I try to step away from it, knowing that evil is never vanquished by killing someone, peace never wholly achieved through war, hate never erased by hate. I’m not running for President, but still I make an effort. Shouldn’t Mitt do the same? Shouldn’t we think twice about giving him the power to achieve his goal?

And speaking of bad guys, if I was George Bush and Dick Cheney, I’d be nervous if Mitt got elected.