"Shoe-Bomber" sentenced

[KenpoTex]

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 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 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 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.
God bless America
Pass it on..............................everyone should read this!

Look here for a more complete transcript of the scumbag's statement:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/01/31/reid.transcript/

 

[dubljay]

Why was this not bigger news... I havent heard one word of it. :miffer:

 

[KenpoTex]

Why was this not bigger news... I havent heard one word of it. :miffer:

Because the judge said exactly what needed to be said, denouncing this a$$hole for the cowardly scumbag that he is and that is something the liberal/left-wing media cannot tolerate.

 

[michaeledward]

I live just about 45 miles from Boston. And the results of this trial were no secret here. When the guilty plea was accepted, it seems there were quite a few articles about the Judge's scathing rebuke.

It did happen a year and a half ago, so it may have fallen from many peoples' memory. But I don't think it was a secret.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/10/04/reid.guilty.plea/
http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=954256

SENTENCED TO LIFE, REID DENOUNCES US
Published on January 31, 2003
Author(s): Thanassis Cambanis, Globe Staff

A defiant Richard Colvin Reid, the admitted Al Qaeda operative convicted of trying to blow up an American jetliner with explosives hidden in his shoes, brandished a fist at the federal judge who sentenced him to life in prison yesterday, shouting, "You're not going to stand me down. You'll go down. You will be judged by Allah," before four US marshals dragged him from the courtroom.


At a dramatic two-hour hearing in a heavily secured US District Court in Boston, Reid

Because this is an archive article, you must sign in to the Globe to read all 1317 words.

Mike

 

[dubljay]

Because the judge said exactly what needed to be said, denouncing this a$$hole for the cowardly scumbag that he is and that is something the liberal/left-wing media cannot tolerate.

ah good point

 

[Elizium]

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.

This comes from a guy that grew up in a free country, only wanting to tear it apart? Is this guy a numbnut or something?

Well in the UK nothing has been said on any newspaper or TV broadcast. We are just sick of Bin Laden making large claims to bring down a country. He knows he can not win. It is like trying to push a mountian with a feather.

 

[OUMoose]

This comes from a guy that grew up in a free country, only wanting to tear it apart? Is this guy a numbnut or something?

Well in the UK nothing has been said on any newspaper or TV broadcast. We are just sick of Bin Laden making large claims to bring down a country. He knows he can not win. It is like trying to push a mountian with a feather.

But he is winning, and that's the problem. By winning I don't mean all of us will be wearing towels on our heads tomorrow, but we aren't making any progress. The US led coalition insurgency has cause more and more people to rally under the flag of OBL. I know people who won't fly now, not because it's unsafe (please don't quote me the stats), but because they're afraid of getting hijacked. Attendance at one of the shopping centers in town has fallen off dramatically after it came out that an Al-queda member was apprehended with plans to blow it up. We, the people, are LETTING them win. Just as that judge said, they are terrorists, nothing more. What is the root of terrorist? Terror. As defined by dictionary.com, Terror is "Intense, overpowering fear." Their job is to create fear, and that is exactly what they're doing.

I'm not saying for everyone to simply thumb their nose at chance, but if everyone would just think for themselves a little more, rather than let CNN do it for them, I think we would be alot closer to safety, and to peace.

 

[qizmoduis]

Because the judge said exactly what needed to be said, denouncing this a$$hole for the cowardly scumbag that he is and that is something the liberal/left-wing media cannot tolerate.

Yes, that's right! It's a left-wing media conspiracy to not conspicuously publicize this statement that was made A YEAR AND A HALF AGO every day since.

Maybe the real problem is that you weren't paying attention then, and lack common sense now. I remember when this was reported on NPR when it happened.

 

[KenpoTex]

Yes, that's right! It's a left-wing media conspiracy to not conspicuously publicize this statement that was made A YEAR AND A HALF AGO every day since.
Maybe the real problem is that you weren't paying attention then, and lack common sense now. I remember when this was reported on NPR when it happened.

As for not paying attention, I do my best to try to keep up with what's going on vis-a-vis the war on terror/international affairs, etc. And I do remember hearing that the guy was sentenced; however, if any of the 4 or 5 stations that I usually listen to played excerpts from the judges statement (which was what I was referring to) I didn't catch it. As far as my alleged lack of common-sense, If that's your opinion, more power to you.

 

[KenpoTess]

-Mod Note-

Thread moved from Locker Room to Study due to thread content.


~Tess
-MT S. Mod-

 

[Flatlander]

But he is winning, and that's the problem. By winning I don't mean all of us will be wearing towels on our heads tomorrow, but we aren't making any progress. The US led coalition insurgency has cause more and more people to rally under the flag of OBL. I know people who won't fly now, not because it's unsafe (please don't quote me the stats), but because they're afraid of getting hijacked. Attendance at one of the shopping centers in town has fallen off dramatically after it came out that an Al-queda member was apprehended with plans to blow it up. We, the people, are LETTING them win. Just as that judge said, they are terrorists, nothing more. What is the root of terrorist? Terror. As defined by dictionary.com, Terror is "Intense, overpowering fear." Their job is to create fear, and that is exactly what they're doing.

I'm not saying for everyone to simply thumb their nose at chance, but if everyone would just think for themselves a little more, rather than let CNN do it for them, I think we would be alot closer to safety, and to peace.

I totally agree with you Moose, he is winning. That man needs to get found. I'd like to read the Judge's comments on That one.

As a Canadian, I don't have to deal with this kind of concern on a daily basis as you guys do, but you know what, you all should take pride in the fact that your Country has grown to be the kind of Country that can stand up for freedom and liberty, and protect those that need to be protected. I think that we should have been there with you.

 

[Elizium]

Something just came to me as a thought reading this. If we do get full trash can man (Mr Bin Laden (Its a play on words so bear with it)), and he is tried/executed, someone will rally to his cause and so it will continue. We take out Bin Laden, another one who is sympathetic to his cause, someone like Abu Hamza the hook man cleric who is wanted by the FBI on trying to raise an army in Oregon for Bin Laden, will basically call upon his followers to carry on their futile fight.


The only thing we can do is to flip the finger at the people that want to cause us harm and carry on. If they are winning, think why. Why are they? Then combat it. Never give in, once you do, they win. And you as a country does not want that.