11:39 A.M.
My uncle sent this to me this morning. I didn't know what to think of it at first.
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Happy Thanksgiving to all.
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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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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
co-conspirators, 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 freedom.
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
administered 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 bear 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. Officer. Stand him down."
So, how much of this Judge's comments did we hear on
our TV sets?
Have a good Thanksgiving and hug your kids.
