Keep it SEALed

On Thursday, The Washington Post published a story about former Navy SEAL Robert O’Neill. O’Neill officially confirmed he was the one that shot Osama bin Laden back in 2011. Previously, O’Neill spoke to Esquire magazine but stayed anonymous. He chose to confirm his identity in his relation to the shooting after he was mentioned on a military blog without his permission. Since his reveal, he’s received a mostly positive response, mainly from families who lost their loved ones on 9/11. However, O’Neill has also received very negative responses, specifically from the military. The Navy SEALs have strict policy about seeking attention for your service. But is that what O’Neill was doing? Seeking attention? Or was he simply confirming his role after being revealed in a blog without his consent?  The commander and master chief of the Navy Special Warfare Command said this in response to the controversy…

“A critical tenet of their profession is to not advertise the nature of my work nor seek recognition for my action.”

After further research, I found that O’Neill’s real motivation to come forward was after meeting, this last summer, with families who lost relatives in 9/11. He had been asked to speak at the Memorial Museum and at the last minute decided to speak about Osama bin Laden’s death.  He received so much positive feedback about the amount of closure it brought people.

For these families, being able to put a name to an act we as Americans took pride in, is important. If that was O’Neill’s true motivation in revealing his name, I think he should be honored. I believe it is important for the media to treat this sensitively. If the coverage is too glorifying, some may see O’Neill’s move as one seeking attention and recognition. If they frame this in the right light-telling the whole story of the speech at Memorial Museum, O’Neill is likely to be accepted and thought highly of.  The media should also make sure to mention the entire teams important role in the take down of Osama bin Laden.