When will murder outrage us
When President Trump ordered military attacks on four boats operated by Venezuelans in international waters, the attacks killed 21 still unidentified people, reportedly including some children.
The federal-law definition of “murder” is “the unlawful killing of a human being with malice.” [18 USC §§ 1111]. The meaning of “malice” in this context is the intention, without justification, to commit an unlawful act.
When Trump ordered the attacks on the boats, he intentionally ordered a killing and did so without justification. If the people on the boats were bringing narcotics to the U.S., as he claimed, the usual procedure would have been to intercept the boats and arrest the crews.
Experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council stated:
“International law does not allow governments to simply murder alleged drug traffickers. Criminal activities should be disrupted, investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the rule of law, including through international cooperation.”
Trump murdered the Venezuelans on the four boats. At a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy, he promised to extend these murders at sea to murders on land.
Will the outrage missing from our reaction to the sea attacks suddenly appear when Trump implements this promise? Will we start to worry about whether the promised attacks will be on the continental U.S.? Will we start to worry about the safety of U.S. citizens?