Gov. Bill Owens was in Washington waiting to meet with President Bush when he got word of the U.S. bombing and killing of al-Qaeda leader al-Zarqawi. His reaction? He was “ecstatic.”

Am I the only one who thinks it is inappropriate to rejoice over the murder of another human being? What ever happened to the days when miscreants were apprehended and brought to justice in a court of law? When did assassination become not only acceptable but a cause for giddiness?

Al-Zarqawi was a terrorist who allegedly did despicable things and wanted to bring great harm to America. It’s a good thing he will no longer be able to carry out his demented plans. But he would have been equally incapacitated in a maximum security prison like Supermax. We stoop to his level and diminish our own humanity when we embrace al-Zarqawi’s tactics and applaud his demise.