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Darthbetta -> Remenber the guy who was the "shoebomber" on the plane ? (2/24/2005 7:57:27 AM)
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Remember the guy who got on a plane with a
bomb built into his shoe and tried to light it?
Did you know his trial is over?
Did you know he was sentenced?
Did you see/hear any of the judge's comments on TV/Radio?
Didn't think so.
Everyone should hear what the judge had to say.
Ruling by Judge William Young, US District Court.
Prior to sentencing, the Judge asked the defendant
if he had anything to say.
His response: After admitting his guilt to the court for the record,
Reid also admitted his "allegiance to Osama bin Laden, to Islam,
and to the religion of Allah," defiantly stated "I think I ought not
apologize for my actions," and told the court "I am at war with
your country."
Judge Young then delivered the statement quoted below,
a stinging condemnation of Reid in particular and
terrorists in general:
January 30, 2003, United States vs. Reid. Judge Young:
Mr. Richard C. Reid, hearken now to the sentence the Court
imposes upon you. On counts 1, 5 and 6 the Court sentences
you to life in prison in the custody of the United States Attorney
General. On counts 2, 3, 4 and 7, the Court sentences you to 20
years in prison on each count, the sentence on each count to run
consecutive with the other.
That's 80 years. On count 8 the Court sentences you to the mandatory
30 years consecutive to the 80 years just imposed. The Court imposes
upon you each of the eight counts a fine of $250,000 for the aggregate
fine of $2 million. The Court accepts the government's recommendation
with respect to restitution and orders restitution in the amount of $298.17
to Andre Bousquet and $5,784 to American Airlines. The Court imposes
upon you the $800 special assessment.
The Court imposes upon you five years supervised release
simply because the law requires it. But the life sentences are
real life sentences so I need go no further. This is the sentence
that is provided for by our statutes. It is a fair and just sentence.
It is a righteous sentence.
Let me explain this to you. We are not afraid of you or any
of your terrorist coconspirators, Mr. Reid. We are Americans.
We have been through the fire before. There is all too much war
talk here and I say that to everyone with the utmost respect. Here
in this court, where we deal with individuals as individuals and
care for individuals as individuals. As human beings, we reach
out for justice.
You are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist.
You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist.
To give you that reference, to call you a soldier, gives you far too
much stature. Whether it is the officers of government who do it
or your attorney who does it, or that happens to be your view, you
are a terrorist ... and we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do
not treat with terrorists. We do not sign documents with terrorists.
We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice.
So war talk is way out of line in this court. You are a big fellow.
But you are not that big. You're no warrior. I know warriors.
You are a terrorist. A species of criminal guilty of multiple
attempted murders. In a very real sense, State Trooper Santiago
had it right when you first were taken off that plane and into
custody and you wondered where the press and where the TV
crews were and he said you're no big deal.
You're no big deal.
What your counsel, what your able counsel and what the equally
able United States attorneys have grappled with and what I have
as honestly as I know how tried to grapple with, is why you did
something so horrific. What was it that led you here to this
courtroom today?
I have listened respectfully to what you have to say. And I ask you
to search your heart and ask yourself what sort of unfathomable
hate led you to do what you are guilty and admit you are guilty of
doing. And I have an answer for you. It may not satisfy you, but as I
search this entire record, it comes as close to understanding as I know.
It seems to me you hate the one thing that is most precious. You hate
our freedom. Our individual freedom. Our individual freedom to live
as we choose, to come and go as we choose, to believe or not believe as
we individually choose. Here, in this society, the very winds carry free-
dom. They carry it everywhere from sea to shining sea. It is because we
prize individual freedom so much that you are here in this beautiful
courtroom. So that everyone can see, truly see, that justice is adminis-
tered fairly, individually, and discretely. It is for freedom's sake that
your lawyers are striving so vigorously on your behalf and have filed
appeals, will go on in their representation of you before other judges.
We are about it. Because we all know that the way we treat you,
Mr. Reid, is the measure of our own liberties. Make no mistake
though. It is yet true that we will bare any burden; pay any price,
to preserve our freedoms. Look around this courtroom. Mark it well.
The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here. Day
after tomorrow, it will be forgotten, but this, however, will long endure.
Here in this courtroom and courtrooms all across America, the American
people will gather to see that justice, individual justice, justice, not war,
individual justice is in fact being done. The very President of the United
States through his officers will have to come into courtrooms and lay out
evidence on which specific matters can be judged and juries of citizens will
gather to sit and judge that evidence democratically, to mold and shape
and refine our sense of justice.
See that flag, Mr Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America.
That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag stands
for freedom. You know it always will.
Mr. Custody Officer.
Stand him down.
So, how much of this Judge's comments did we hear on our TV sets?
We need more judges like Judge Young, but that's another subject.
Pass this around. Everyone should and needs to hear what this fine
judge had to say. Powerful words that strike home.
I'm not exactly "patriotic"... but HOOOOORAHHHH!!!!!!
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