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 or
Radio?
Didn't think so. A few people do know about it !!!
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 stating, '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 consecutively. (That's 80 years.)
'On count 8 the Court sentences you to the mandatory 30
years again, to be served consecutively to the 80 years just imposed. The Court
imposes upon you for each of the eight counts a fine of $250,000 that's an
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 an $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.
'Now, 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 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 the
officers of government do it or your attorney 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 known 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 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, 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 bear any burden; pay any
price, to Preserve our freedoms. Look around this courtroom and mark it well.
The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here. The 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 always will.
'Mr. Custody Officer. Stand him down.'
So, how much of this Judge's comments did we hear on
our TV sets?
Pass this around. Everyone should and needs to hear
what this fine judge had to say. Powerful words that strike home.
And we are still toiling with Kasab!!!
