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With alleged terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui awaiting his formal sentencing this morning, the focus is on how the jurors decided to give him life in jail over the death penalty. The NY Times has a helpful graphic showing the mitigating factors that led the jury its sentence: The biggest factors seemed to be that he had a terrible childhood, with two abusive parents, and that he seemed to be, at best, a fringe member of Al Qaeda, one without any real knowledge; conversely, the jurors weren't as convinced by the defense's arguments that he was schizophrenic and wanted to be a martyr by dying. (All jurors need to agree on the death penalty.) While some September 11 victims' families accepted the verdict, many others had been hoping for the death penalty; even former mayor - and witness for the prosecution - Rudy Giuliani said he was "disappointed". President Bush took the time to remind America that the war on terror is still happening and "Evil will not have the final say."
A Daily News editorial thinks Moussaoui should have received death, while the Post editorial has the same point but is surprisingly more measured
Courtroom sketch of Moussaoui cheering after the verdict from the AP
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It was a just verdict. Moussaoui was never what the government tried to say he was, and one could not escape the feeling that by hanging this guy the government could put his head on the wall and say, "Look what we did."
Moussaoui's certainly a bad dude and belongs in jail. But he was not the 20th hijacker, he was not the shoe-bomber's co-conspirator, he was not the clearinghouse of al Qaeda information that he was portrayed to be. He's just a sad, sick, evil man who's one noticeable talent is making horrible, offensive, baiting statements designed to turn our freedom of speech against each other. The jury didn't buy it. They stayed cool under ridiculously difficult circumstances and a barrage of the most hateful vile ever to come out of a human's mouth. They showed the world what American justice (as opposed to revenge by proxy) really is. Now Moussaoui can go to jail and suffer,for him, what would be the worst punishment of all... he'll be ignored and forgotten.
If I lost one of my people, I'd want to kill someone with my bare hands. Which also would disqualify me for the jury.
PS: And thanks to the 9/11 Whore for proving what a consistent terror trollop he is.
In addition to a life sentence, they should broadcast into his cell 12 hrs per day of Christian Evangelical tv or radio.