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Old 07-02-2007, 12:13 PM   #1
TheMercenary
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Patriotic Rant by Judge

Not to bad. I am always a bit hesitant to jump on thing you read on the web. Snoopes snooped it out and a few other major news links carried it so I think it is real. Anyway, if you don't want to read a good "ra-ra USA" rant, don't bother to read the following, just move along:

Reid: 'I am at war with your country'
Friday, January 31, 2003 Posted: 11:10 AM EST (1610 GMT)


(CNN) – The following is a partial transcript of Thursday's court hearing in which Richard Reid was sentenced to life in prison for his confessed plan to try and blow up a jetliner with explosives he had hidden in his shoes. The exchange is between Reid and Judge William Young.

RICHARD REID: I start by praising Allah because life today is no good. I bear witness to this and he alone is right to be worshiped. And I bear witness that Muhammad Sa'laat Alayhi as-Salaam is his last prophet and messenger who is sent to all of mankind for guidance, with the sound guidance for everyone.

Concerning what the Court said? I admit, I admit my actions and I further, I further state that I done them.

JUDGE WILLIAM YOUNG: I didn't hear the last. I admit my actions and then what did you say?

REID: I further admit my allegiance to Osama bin Laden, to Islam, and to the religion of Allah. With regards to what you said about killing innocent people, I will say one thing. Your government has killed 2 million children in Iraq. If you want to think about something, against 2 million, I don't see no comparison.

Your government has sponsored the rape and torture of Muslims in the prisons of Egypt and Turkey and Syria and Jordan with their money and with their weapons. I don't know, see what I done as being equal to rape and to torture, or to the deaths of the two million children in Iraq.

So, for this reason, I think I ought not apologize for my actions. I am at war with your country. I'm at war with them not for personal reasons but because they have murdered more than, so many children and they have oppressed my religion and they have oppressed people for no reason except that they say we believe in Allah.

This is the only reason that America sponsors Egypt. It's the only reason they sponsor Turkey. It's the only reason they back Israel.

As far as the sentence is concerned, it's in your hand. Only really it is not even in your hand. It's in Allah's hand. I put my trust in Allah totally and I know that he will give victory to his religion. And he will give victory to those who believe and he will destroy those who wish to oppress the people because they believe in Allah.

So you can judge and I leave you to judge. And I don't mind. This is all I have to say. And I bear witness to Muhammad this is Allah's message.

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 one 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 on 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 not go any further.

This is the sentence that is provided for by our statutes. It is a fair and a just sentence. It is a righteous sentence. Let me explain this to you.

We are not afraid of 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're a big fellow. But you're 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 Trooper Santiago had it right when first you were taken off that plane and into custody and you wondered where the press and where the TV crews were and you 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 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 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 seek that your lawyers are striving so vigorously on your behalf and have filed appeals, will go on in their, their representation of you before other judges. We care 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 still stands for freedom. You know it always will. Custody, Mr. Officer. Stand him down.

REID: That flag will be brought down on the Day of Judgment and you will see in front of your Lord and my Lord and then we will know. (Whereupon the defendant was removed from the courtroom.)

YOUNG: We'll recess. All rise.

Afriggingmen.
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Old 07-02-2007, 03:52 PM   #2
piercehawkeye45
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Wait, we are at war with the "terrorists" but they can't be at war with us? Thats a pretty big double standard there.
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Old 07-02-2007, 04:15 PM   #3
TheMercenary
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Quote:
Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45 View Post
Wait, we are at war with the "terrorists" but they can't be at war with us? Thats a pretty big double standard there.
No, no, no.... They are war with us, therefore we are at war with them, not the other way around.
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Old 07-02-2007, 05:19 PM   #4
piercehawkeye45
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But the judge said that they are not at war with us.
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Old 07-02-2007, 06:09 PM   #5
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Pick, pick. Always look for other meanings for words.
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Old 07-02-2007, 06:27 PM   #6
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It's confusing to me too... I don't understand why he's not a soldier if we're at war.
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Old 07-02-2007, 11:12 PM   #7
TheMercenary
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jinx View Post
It's confusing to me too... I don't understand why he's not a soldier if we're at war.
Dictated by ROE and Laws of Land Warefare.
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Old 07-08-2007, 09:31 PM   #8
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I think what Judge Young said was spectacular and yet at the same time, I'm sad. Sad that there are people in the world who are so effed up and filled with hate that they do this sort of thing. Sad that innocent people all over the world are dying because of them. Sad that we have to spend an inordinate amount of money trying and keeping these people alive instead of putting that money to better uses. Sad that we have to occupy our time and our resources dealing with this crap. But mostly I'm sad that we as a country have to send our sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers all over the world stop these people and many of them give their lives doing so for many vocally unappreciative people. As we sit here in the comfort of freedoms and liberties that were paid for with many lives and blood; we still can't agree - But I'm also very proud that we have these rights and freedoms to do so. God Bless America!
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Old 07-09-2007, 11:02 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by yesman065 View Post
Sad that there are people in the world who are so effed up and filled with hate that they do this sort of thing. Sad that innocent people all over the world are dying because of them. Sad that we have to spend an inordinate amount of money trying and keeping these people alive instead of putting that money to better uses. Sad that we have to occupy our time and our resources dealing with this crap. But mostly I'm sad that we as a country have to send our sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers all over the world stop these people and many of them give their lives doing so for many vocally unappreciative people.
Don't worry -- this is nothing that a YouTube montage of US armor blowing up buildings and C-130s firing flares to a Godsmack song can't fix.
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Old 07-09-2007, 08:45 PM   #10
TheMercenary
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Originally Posted by Kitsune View Post
Don't worry -- this is nothing that a YouTube montage of US armor blowing up buildings and C-130s firing flares to a Godsmack song can't fix.
I would agree... not a Goddamm thing better than that!


(oops? did I offend???)
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Old 07-09-2007, 08:58 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by TheMercenary View Post
I would agree... not a Goddamm thing better than that!


(oops? did I offend???)
Absolutely not. Here, have at it.
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Old 07-09-2007, 09:05 PM   #12
TheMercenary
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Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Rode in a Spector. Awsome ride.
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Old 07-11-2007, 05:31 AM   #13
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Well, an AC-130 Spectre.

Definitely more lethal than Phil Spector -- only one dead body around him...
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Old 07-11-2007, 09:09 PM   #14
TheMercenary
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Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla View Post
Well, an AC-130 Spectre.

Definitely more lethal than Phil Spector -- only one dead body around him...


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Old 07-11-2007, 09:45 PM   #15
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I too have heard M61 Vulcan cannons fired. Scariest sound I know -- I've never heard a recording that does that vicious noise justice. It's approximately BRRRRIIIIPPPP and about four times as loud as you expect. It's like the sound of a chainsaw with no muffler being goosed abruptly to high rpm -- you can hear the frequency pick up, combined with the sound of an air hammer and that of heavy canvas tearing just fast enough to give you a subliminal impression of each thread popping.
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