me tooo... 
Posted on 06/22/2013 6:19:59 AM PDT by La Lydia
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 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:
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. 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. Pass this around. Everyone should, and needs to, hear what this fine judge had to say. Powerful words that strike home.
We had a short-lived renaissance in the 80s. It was similar to the 50s in prosperity and national mores. Yes, I know it wasn’t the 50s, but compared to the decades that directly preceded and followed, the 80s were a golden time of normalcy in America.
I have done my best to pass on this legacy to my children while getting them prepared for this debased time we now live in.
A generation that will fear...fear their government.
Very very sad.
He was denied at sentencing, the media attention, he so desperately craved...I like that!
The press did not cover because the Judge, among other great things said:
“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.”
Does not fit in with the Great Obama’s Fascist Policies and therefore no political talking points were issued by the Administration to the MSM. The Judge also used the Word “Terrorist” which is banned in the Administration’s Lexicon, even more so than the “N”word
“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.”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
I think the judge as quoted above engages in wishful thinking. He describes what USED TO EXIST. Most Americans are not “all about freedom” any longer. Being all about freedom means being all about personal responsibility and even those who call themselves conservatives often preach the opposite. For this country to once again be all about freedom would require the dismantling of MOST of the government structure, legislation and regulations currently in place. To think that we can be all about freedom while at the same time engaging in tyranny requires a split mind. Referring to a cow pie as lemon meringue will not provide food for the hungry and referring to tyranny as freedom will do nothing for anyone except the tyrants. There is no hope of RESTORING freedom as long as we refuse to face reality.
“We had a short-lived renaissance in the 80s”
You are correct sir....every time I watch an 80’s movie, I look at my husband and say, honey remember back then we did not have a worry in the world. Reagan was so strong and loved America so much, that the rest of the world would not screw with us......No war....just a happy time of fun and family. TV still had a conscience. Our government did not call Patriots....racist....taliban....Oh how I wish my grand kids could know a time like that!
Speaking of un-convicted terrorists, the traitor and murderer Nidal Hasan is still stealing oxygen from the rest of us, 3-1/2 years after committing his atrocity. It's just one more sign of how our government has disregarded its responsibilities to our nation's citizens.
...Here, in this society, the very wind carries freedom. It carries it everywhere from sea to shining sea...
me tooo...
Awesome - thanks for the ping.
FYI ping
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.
I hope not! I have to think the guys here are part of a large remnant of people in the USA who still value what they have. There are many of us all around the world who look to you guys to understand and really appreciate what freedom means and what are the threats against it. It’s the main reason I come here. I feel privileged to come here and soak in what you guys offer without ever fully appreciating what you are giving out.
Yes we value what we have but mostly we value what we USED to have! Pretending that we still are the same country that we used to be helps no one. The question now is not whether we can PRESERVE our former freedom, it is lost, the question is whether we can ever REGAIN our former freedom. I’m sorry but in my honest opinion if you cannot see that you are evading reality, either that or you just are not aware of what is really happening in the USA. By the way do you realize that not many years ago many in the American South where I was born and raised used to fantasize about going to Australia because they believed that true freedom still existed there after, in their view, it had already been lost in the USA?
Those who prattle about “all our great freedoms that we enjoy” in this country are simply acting like an old, old man who speaks of what he used to do as if he is still young and virile and still doing it. We are not enjoying our great freedoms we are merely REMEMBERING our great freedoms. Those who are under thirty cannot even remember them and I am being generous by saying thirty, I think it goes back farther than that.
One thing I consider particularly telling is that forty years ago if someone said something like, “I think I will just knock off and go fishing”, they would hear a reply of, “Well, go ahead, it’s a free country, ain’t it?” I have not heard that reply for a long time and in my view it is because either consciously or subconsciously, everyone is aware at some level that this IS NOT a free country. Some may call me unamerican or unpatriotic but in my own opinion I am simply a realist. I will be happy to spin dreams and fantasies with anyone but please don’t ask me to treat them as reality.
Yeah. I made it all up. /sarc/ Really the level of snark and cynicism is enough to drive me away from this forum some days. If you don’t believe me, or FB, look it up on Google.
Yep I must admit I was being cynical as there were not references. If you follow the post at about 10 I recanted after being pointed to a reference and then going to check on snopes.com. I apologize if I made you a little more cynical by my reply. I have seen so many of these on FB that are attributed to some famous person or a really good rant attributed to someone in power. Up until this one all I have liked and then checked have turned out to be BS.
This one sounded too good to be true! I am glad it is!!!
Once again Mea Culpa
Mel
Awesome. I hope Obama doesn’t pardon the guy.
Other than the gun buy back things were fairly good here up until 6-7 years ago or things were happening behind the scenes so much they were barely noticeable - we had a stable smart conservative government for more than a decade and our freedoms (mostly) were not being impinged upon too much. Then comes this current Labor Government and they have been playing catch up with your Democrats and the rest of the socialist world - so I am starting to understand where you are coming from.
Mel
I don’t think anyone thought YOU made it up. But stuff that sounds good and right and patriotic these days is often fake.
I saw a prayer attributes to the aging Billy Graham that was really in-your-face for the left. The prayer was real,, but was prayed at the Kansas opening of the Senate in 1996 by pastor Joe Wright. Many Senators stormed out. http://www.dailypaul.com/54579/offended-legislators-walk-out-during-controversial-kansas-senate-opening-prayer.
I had the same reaction the first time I read the judge’s words. But I did go to Snopes and received a pleasant confirmation.
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