Civilian Trials for Terrorists

Watching the GOP and Dems cower in fear over bringing terrorists to justice in criminal court is a pathetic scene. They don't act like the leaders they should be and they certainly give the terrorists exactly what they want - terror.

And the hysteria is pervasive on both sides of the aisle. Ronald Reagan believed we should treat terrorists as criminals. George H.W. Bush believed the same. As did President Clinton. Even George W. Bush subjected certain terrorists to criminal trials. Yet, today it is considered the position of "far leftists" or extreme "civil libertarians," if one believes we should subject terrorists to criminal trials. Here is Ronald Reagan's official stance on treating terrorists:

Another important measure we have developed in our overall strategy is applying the rule of law to terrorists. Terrorists are criminals. They commit criminal actions like murder, kidnapping, and arson, and countries have laws to punish criminals. So a major element in our strategy has been to delegitimize terrorists, to get society to see them for what they are - criminals - and to use democracy's most potent tool, the rule of law against them. (h/t Greenwald)

Our current political climate is a perfect example of how radical and extreme our government/country has become in regards to how we should treat terrorists that are not captured on the battlefield. It shows how easily fear can be used by the government to take away our most precious liberties and erase guiding principles of western civilization.

The most recent example of how we treated a terrorist who tried to blow up an airliner was the Richard Reid case under George W. Bush. Bush made the right decision by placing Reid in the federal court system.

During this time of mass hysteria and people on both the right and left claiming we should abandon our legal system, it's worth remembering what the presiding Judge told Richard Reid during his sentencing:

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 treaty 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. - Judge William Young