Ameritrade (fka AMTD)

[mokew]

Subject: The shoe bomb guy gets sentenced

Interesting how the media made a spectacle of his arrest, but no coverage was done of his trial and sentencing.

Subject: An Important Read about 'Reid' . . . do you remember this guy?

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 bear 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. Custody, Mr. Officer. Stand him down. Unquote

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 judge had to
say. Powerful words that strike home . .