"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."--Martin Luther King, Jr.

This quote came up on my newsfeed at least 5 times over the past week, following Osama Bin Laden's death.

Is celebrating Bin Laden's death the "right" thing to do? And if it's not the right thing to do, is it at the least an ok thing to do? After reading a few articles on the subject, including a NY Times post, I am still conflicted, understandably so - it's a pretty heavy question.

The Times post justifies celebrating his death from a social psychology perspective, saying that

"it makes us look like human beings. In an array of research, both inside laboratories and out in the world, psychologists have shown that the appetite for revenge is a sensitive measure of how a society perceives both the seriousness of a crime and any larger threat that its perpetrator may pose."

What do you think?