November 6, 2009
A terrorist and a criminal aren’t the same thing and shouldn’t be tried in the same courts.

Posted at 3:56 pm, in: War on Terrorism
Tags: Justice Department, Patrick Leahy, Pentagon, Senate

We have tried terrorists as criminals before and we have seen how well that worked out. Unfortunately for us, it appears that Congress doesn’t understand this and so, here we are, back to prosecuting terrorists as if they are common criminals:

The Democratic-controlled Senate on Thursday turned back a GOP-led effort to bar Sept. 11 terrorists from being prosecuted in civilian federal courts.

Instead, senators voted 54-45 to support a request by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Attorney General Eric Holder to have the option of prosecuting Sept. 11 terrorists such as accused mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in either federal courts or by military commission.

The vote capped an impassioned – and substantive – Senate debate between those who believe the Sept. 11 terrorists simply don’t belong in civilian courtrooms and those who say deciding where to prosecute them should be left to the best judgment of the Pentagon and the Justice Department.

Suspected terrorists should not be afforded the same rights as American citizens, which they will be if tried in a criminal court. This is so ridiculous. Do they care at all about the safety of our citizens? Our legal system is a joke and, apparently, so is Congress. I can’t believe that it’s only taken us eight years to return to a September 10 state of mind…until our next wake-up call, that is. The fact that we need another wake-up call is disheartening enough.

Patrick Leahy is quoted later in the article as saying that the courts and justice system can handle this. Are we talking about the same system that let OJ Simpson walk? And, the same system that allowed JC Duggards rapist to keep her hidden for 18 years, even with police stopping by and checking the property she was hidden on? Is that the justice system I’m supposed to have faith in? The one that releases child molesters to let them molest again?

And, if they are found guilty, will they be sentenced to rot in American prisons? Will they be eligible for parole? By treating them like we would the common crook, aren’t we just ensuring more terrorist attacks on our soil? Probably, but what do politicians care? They’ll be protected so they don’t have to worry about being inside the next building that falls.