--- ((((In furnituremaking@yahoogroups.com, "Chuck_Gaish"
<poe1@g...> wrote:
The Qur'an mentions the terrible end of 'Aad, Thamud and the Pharaoh
in some detail:
(The tribes of) Thamud and 'Aad disbelieved in the judgment to
come.))))
......................................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
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 coconspirators, 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