This one is important to read...
>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.
>
>
>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
>ha d 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 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.
>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? 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
We do have SOME correct Judges still on the bench ----at this time.....
