Hello all I hope you are all well and happy.

 I just got this in a e-mail from another proud American.

Sincerely,

 Pat.

> THIS A LENGTHY READING, BUT A MUST..
>
>
>
>
> Subject: Sentence of Reid
>
>
>       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 Distrist 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
> 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 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 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 bare 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, but that's another subject. 
Pass
> this around.  Everyone should and needs to hear what this fine judge
had
> to say. Powerful words that strike home.  God bless America
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>          Please forward this----------so that every American has a
chance
> to read it.