posted August 29, 2005 02:16 PM              

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 will not apologize for my actions," and told the court "I am at war with your country."

Judge Young then delivered the statement quoted below:

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 se ntences 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, 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 if you think you are a soldier. You are not----- you are a terrorist . And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not meet 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've know warriors. You are a terrorist. A species of criminal that is 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 are no big deal.

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 to us 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 wind carries freedom. It carries 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 Americans are all about freedom. 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. And it alway s 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. Everyone should and needs to hear what this fine judge had to say.
Powerful words that strike home.

posted August 29, 2005 02:49 PM              

God bless Everyone (please, not JUST America.)

The judges words are quite profound. I agree we need more judges of the like.

What I don't agree with is the arrogance that somehow assumes we (as Americans) deserve blessings above all others.

Are we the only country in the world facing terrorism? I think not.

It is a global issue.

I pray for the world... not just for one country.

posted August 29, 2005 06:18 PM            

Mr. Reid was not being tried "in a Global" courtroom for trying to kill numerous "global" citizens. His attack was against AMERICAN's (with other citizen's being counted at collateral damage) therefore he was tried and found guilty in our courtroom.

I have a ton of respect for what the judge had to say and we do need more like him. It's time to STOP feeling guilty or wrong for believing in America and being proud of being American.

posted August 29, 2005 06:22 PM            

That's definetly my kind of judge. Did the guy really ask where all the cameras were? Talk about arrogance!

posted August 29, 2005 07:26 PM              

I pray for all the people of the world, of course, and make no distinction in that regard. But I do pray for America - for the country itself - because I feel it's laws, it's very foundation is ... how can I put this in a politically correct sort of way? ... unique. In a global sense, I think it is possibly more important for the future of our world and it's people that the government of the USA endure rather than say ... Libya.

quote:

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What I don't agree with is the arrogance that somehow assumes we (as Americans) deserve blessings above all others.

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yeah, I see that sometimes too. It's an odd state of mind to be in, isn't it?. All I can think or say in response to it is this - to those whom much is given, much is expected.

posted August 29, 2005 10:27 PM            

I agree with TINK on this. Nothing particularly special there.

I can see the wisdom in what he says with regard to the story being forgotten quickly, and in keeping the media muted on this story. That's noteworthy.

Trying to describe for the terrorist what he is, and explain about American freedom simply because he has a platform to do so seems a little pointless. It's not like you're going to change the mind, heart and attitude of a would be shoe bomber with a couple minutes on why American freedom is so great. It's not like Mr. Reid is going to say, "You got me there, judge."

posted August 30, 2005 02:15 PM            

It is interesting to note that anytime someone says anything positive about America, American liberty or freedom, leftists come out of the woodwork to object...after all, America is just an ordinary run of the mill country...nothing special and if they really said what they think, America is repressive, oppressive, arrogant, greedy, imperialistic, blah, blah, blah.

Interesting too that the judges comments were characterized as a "rant."

posted August 30, 2005 06:09 PM            

I read the judge's whole statement and agree with every word the judge said. Not only do I agree with the judge but this is a message the terrorists and leftists both need to hear.

posted August 30, 2005 07:10 PM              

I did also, in this context:

quote:

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I pray for all the people of the world, of course, and make no distinction in that regard. But I do pray for America - for the country itself - because I feel it's laws, it's very foundation is ... how can I put this in a politically correct sort of way? ... unique. In a global sense, I think it is possibly more important for the future of our world and it's people that the government of the USA endure rather than say ... Libya.

---

I was trying to get my point acros w/o jumping down LS's throat - w/o being offensive. After all, she didn't attack me.

posted August 30, 2005 07:53 PM            

quote:

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I'm not high on political correctness, so let me say God Bless America. Neither am I now, nor do I ever intend to be a "citizen of the world." I'm a citizen of the United States. So, whenever anyone says, "God Bless America", they have my total concurrence.

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This from a person touting the humanitarian reason for war in Iraq? Which is it Jwhop? Do you care about the people of the world, or just Americans? Or just Americans and those suffering under dictatorships?

You ARE a citizen of the world regardless of whether you choose to be. Any notion to the contrary seems to lack awareness on your part. We are all on this planet, and we all have to learn how to be civil with one another.

"Leftists," as you choose to call us, are merely pointing out that the blessing ought to be universal, and not limited to just the United States. How selfish are you to wish Gods blessing upon America alone? Shall I be as ignorant as you, and claim that you are saying, "Damn the rest of the world."

I don't see in any of these posts an objection to American liberty or freedom. What are you reading into the posts here?

A "rant" is exactly what it is. There are different definitions for rant. Is this not pompous talk? I've already shown how it was an ultimately unnecessary speech to an audience who wouldn't choose to understand it.

That said, perhaps it's not unusual for a judge to partake in such opportunities. I'm not in court enough to know. You could interpret it as a message to terrorists, except the judge wisely decided not to make it a media event.

I would like to hear TINK's comments.

quote:

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Not only do I agree with the judge but this is a message the terrorists and leftists both need to hear.

---

It's always remarkable how you consider your fellow Americans the enemy. What a patriot!

--------------------
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

- Jesus/God John 13:34

Is this our God? Does he say only the people of your nation?

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Islam's Allah seems to put more constrictions on love, honestly.

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" 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.' "

- Leviticus 19:18 (the god of Christians and Jews)

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He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.

- Buddha

In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then beleive them to be true.

- Buddha

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posted August 30, 2005 08:01 PM              

I didn't hold back any comments. I just tried to express them in a nice sort of way. I like LS and I felt no need to be harsh.

posted August 30, 2005 08:15 PM            

Of course, anyone who has something positive to say about America IS ranting..to the thinking of leftists, like you acoustic.

Save your out of context sermonizing from the New Testament for someone who doesn't know the Bible, doesn't know who was speaking and who was being spoken to. We've had this conversation before when you quoted someone quoting the Bible out of context.

True, some Americans are the enemy, those Americans whose enemy is the United States...leftists.

I am a citizen of the United States, I am not a citizen of the world. I wish the world's peoples well as does the President, who by his actions has freed 50 million or so from the grip of brutal, murderous dictatorships. An action reviled by the "so called" compassionate leftists.

posted August 30, 2005 08:46 PM            

What's not going to fly, Jwhop? Do you want me to post the definition?

from www.dictionary.com

n 1: a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion [syn: harangue, ranting] 2: pompous or pretentious talk or writing [syn: bombast, fustian, claptrap, blah] v : talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner [syn: mouth off, jabber, spout, rabbit on, rave]

from http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=rant

1 : to talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner
2 : to scold vehemently
transitive senses : to utter in a bombastic declamatory fashion

(Number 2 works as well)

from http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/thes/r/r1227500.html (thesaurus section)

verb
To speak in a loud, pompous, or prolonged manner:
declaim, harangue, mouth, perorate, rave.

quote:

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Save your out of context sermonizing from the New Testament for someone who doesn't know the Bible, doesn't know who was speaking and who was being spoken to. We've had this conversation before when you quoted someone quoting the Bible out of context.

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Ummm...out of context sermonizing? Are you saying the verse is out of context? That Jesus wasn't speaking in the universal sense when he added his own commandments? This is one of the paramount principles of Christianity!! I'd love for you to show me how it's out of context. Really, have at it. Tell me how Jesus would seek to only bless the USA.