Why Zacarias Moussaoui was wrong. For once, America did win.
While E.R. strongly doubts that Zacarias Moussaoui could have influenced the events of 9/11, his words "America you lost, I won" when hearing the sentence of life imprisonment rather than the death penalty were totally wrong.
Despite the American government's attempt to have him executed by having the trial held in Virginia, the jury, and America, got it right.
Anyone who heard the testimony of those relatives of victims killed in 9/11 that stood for his defence (some 23 people) saw a dignity and attitude that not only elevates them above the bombers, but also above the American government itself.
Executions not only make martyrs, they continue the circle of violence.
An eye for an eye is the justice of the Old Testament. A part of the bible which is virtually endorsed by the bombers themselves, and a rule that Americans should be wary of as their soldiers kill tens of thousands of civilians across Iraq.
If America is to stand morally above people like Moussaoui, then it needs to find the strength not necessarily to forgive, but to at least understand that another unneccesary death in this unholy war will drag it not into victory, but into the gutter.
Zacarias Moussaoui was a schizophrenic, driven into hate by racism against him in France, educated in fundamentalism just a few miles from the E.R. offices in London, and then suckered into believing that Jihad was his war in the training camps of Afghanistan.
He then finally learnt how to fly in America.
He was a stupid rebel without a cause. Even al-Qaida dismissed him as a nuisance, and his only friend seems to be that equally inept misfit terrorist - the would-be shoe-bomber Richard Reid.
While it's understandable that America wanted Zacarias Moussaoui to pay a price for his evil stupidity, the right price wasn't another life.
This time, for once, America won.
Despite the American government's attempt to have him executed by having the trial held in Virginia, the jury, and America, got it right.
Anyone who heard the testimony of those relatives of victims killed in 9/11 that stood for his defence (some 23 people) saw a dignity and attitude that not only elevates them above the bombers, but also above the American government itself.
Executions not only make martyrs, they continue the circle of violence.
An eye for an eye is the justice of the Old Testament. A part of the bible which is virtually endorsed by the bombers themselves, and a rule that Americans should be wary of as their soldiers kill tens of thousands of civilians across Iraq.
If America is to stand morally above people like Moussaoui, then it needs to find the strength not necessarily to forgive, but to at least understand that another unneccesary death in this unholy war will drag it not into victory, but into the gutter.
Zacarias Moussaoui was a schizophrenic, driven into hate by racism against him in France, educated in fundamentalism just a few miles from the E.R. offices in London, and then suckered into believing that Jihad was his war in the training camps of Afghanistan.
He then finally learnt how to fly in America.
He was a stupid rebel without a cause. Even al-Qaida dismissed him as a nuisance, and his only friend seems to be that equally inept misfit terrorist - the would-be shoe-bomber Richard Reid.
While it's understandable that America wanted Zacarias Moussaoui to pay a price for his evil stupidity, the right price wasn't another life.
This time, for once, America won.
posted by ENGLISH RANTER at Thursday, May 04, 2006
7 Comments:
I guess I'm not sure how I feel about the death penalty. There are crimes which I believe warrent the possibility, as in serial killers. I think the reason the death penalty is still around is not to kill as many people as possible, but to prevent parole..which can happen on appeal, even with life sentences. That said, I totally agree with the ruling in this case. The man will never become a marytr, just a crazy, pitied, old man in a cell.
In this case, it would have been a mistake. Why create martyrs when that's giving the fools what they want?
He can rot in a cell, by himself, for many years to come. End of story.
He is going to get bummed to death in prison.
well, retribution "comes" in many ways...
Beautifully written. Both the post and your comment...
jail will prolly keep him in isolation 4 his own safty i fthay dont he will b dead in a year
Hi E.R., first time commenter (I think)...blogmates with half of your other commenters...blah blah..
I agree with pup...as I mentioned over at *'s blog, he's been given the penal death wish. It looks better to the world to have him die on the inside, instead of a Federal Execution.
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