Terrorist trials
JimK
others in NYC:
In Defense of New York
By CHARLES M. BLOW
Published: November 20, 2009
NY Times Op-Ed
Representative John Shadegg of Arizona really knows how to put on a
show.
Earlier this month, he used a live baby as part of a
quasi-ventriloquist act on the House floor. Creepy? Yes. Still, we let
it slide.
But he doesn�t get two passes in a row. Monday, he took a swipe at
Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City for saying that the city
could handle the security for the trial of 9/11 mastermind Khalid
Shaikh Mohammed.
Shadegg sniped, �I saw the mayor of New York today said �We�re tough.
We can do it.� Well mayor, how are you going to feel when it�s your
daughter that�s kidnapped, at school, by a terrorist?�
Say what you will about New Yorkers, but question our toughness, you
will not.
Whether a civil or military trial would provide the best chances of
securing a conviction while simultaneously signaling to the world a
righting of America�s moral compass is a fair debate. But questioning
whether New York City can handle the trial is an insult.
(By the way, what�s with this business of the mayor�s daughter being
kidnapped? It sounds like the plot of a Jackie Chan movie.)
We New Yorkers live with the threat of terrorism every day � on our
trains, in our high-rises, in our plazas. But we�ve learned to cope.
Not by being afraid, but by being vigilant. Bringing Mohammed to
Manhattan isn�t going to move the needle much.
A police spokesman told Reuters that �eight terrorism plots against
the city have been scuttled since 2001, including plots to blow up the
Brooklyn Bridge and the retaining wall at ground zero.�
Yet the city didn�t blink. Schools still opened, trains still ran and
the Naked Cowboy still serenaded gaggles of grown women who giggled
like schoolgirls.
So Mr. Congressman, how many terror plots have been squashed in your
district? Take your time. I�ll wait.
We love this city, and nothing and no one will make us afraid to be in
it. We refuse to be cowed by cowards � not by those hiding in the
Hindu Kush or by those hyperventilating in the halls of Congress.
And what galls us most is having watched for years as politicians like
Shadegg used fear-mongering about 9/11 and the threat of attacks as a
political tool.
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani used it to sidestep the extreme racial
divisiveness he fostered in the city. Former President George W. Bush
used it as a Trojan horse to ravage our civil liberties. Dick Cheney
is still using it to shield his transgressions.
Let us be clear: The fear tactics that work in the hinterlands don�t
work here.
We rose from the ashes of the Twin Towers. We don�t need a
puppeteering politician from Phoenix lecturing us about being tough in
the face of terror.
Joker
Good piece. I am amazed at what complete and total cowards these
people sound like. The Democrats, if they were smart, which they are
not, of course, should plaster the country with posters of Republican
politicians is their fine suits with a big wet stain down the front of
their pants. And call these assholes what they are--scared little
children.
Sweetbac
JimK
wrote:
<snip>
>
>Good piece. I am amazed at what complete and total cowards these
>people sound like. The Democrats, if they were smart, which they are
>not, of course, should plaster the country with posters of Republican
>politicians is their fine suits with a big wet stain down the front of
>their pants. And call these assholes what they are--scared little
>children.
And a big brown stain down the back of their pants, too.
JimK
JimK
<swee...@scbglobal.net> wrote:
>Ya took my joy, JimK....Ya took my joy.
>
Maybe you'll find it in Slidell.
JimK
Edwin Hurwitz
JimK <jkez...@comcast.net> wrote:
> This is one of the best pieces I've read in support of trying KSM and
> others in NYC:
>
> In Defense of New York
>
> By CHARLES M. BLOW
> Published: November 20, 2009
> NY Times Op-Ed
>
> Representative John Shadegg of Arizona really knows how to put on a
> show.
>
> Earlier this month, he used a live baby as part of a
> quasi-ventriloquist act on the House floor. Creepy? Yes. Still, we let
> it slide.
>
> But he doesn�ｿｽt get two passes in a row. Monday, he took a swipe at
> Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City for saying that the city
> could handle the security for the trial of 9/11 mastermind Khalid
> Shaikh Mohammed.
>
> Shadegg sniped, �ｿｽI saw the mayor of New York today said �ｿｽWe�ｿｽre tough.
> We can do it.�ｿｽ Well mayor, how are you going to feel when it�ｿｽs your
> daughter that�ｿｽs kidnapped, at school, by a terrorist?�ｿｽ
>
> Say what you will about New Yorkers, but question our toughness, you
> will not.
>
> Whether a civil or military trial would provide the best chances of
> securing a conviction while simultaneously signaling to the world a
> righting of America�ｿｽs moral compass is a fair debate. But questioning
> whether New York City can handle the trial is an insult.
>
> (By the way, what�ｿｽs with this business of the mayor�ｿｽs daughter being
> kidnapped? It sounds like the plot of a Jackie Chan movie.)
>
> We New Yorkers live with the threat of terrorism every day �ｿｽ on our
> trains, in our high-rises, in our plazas. But we�ｿｽve learned to cope.
> Not by being afraid, but by being vigilant. Bringing Mohammed to
> Manhattan isn�ｿｽt going to move the needle much.
>
> A police spokesman told Reuters that �ｿｽeight terrorism plots against
> the city have been scuttled since 2001, including plots to blow up the
> Brooklyn Bridge and the retaining wall at ground zero.�ｿｽ
>
> Yet the city didn�ｿｽt blink. Schools still opened, trains still ran and
> the Naked Cowboy still serenaded gaggles of grown women who giggled
> like schoolgirls.
>
> So Mr. Congressman, how many terror plots have been squashed in your
> district? Take your time. I�ｿｽll wait.
>
> We love this city, and nothing and no one will make us afraid to be in
> it. We refuse to be cowed by cowards �ｿｽ not by those hiding in the
> Hindu Kush or by those hyperventilating in the halls of Congress.
>
> And what galls us most is having watched for years as politicians like
> Shadegg used fear-mongering about 9/11 and the threat of attacks as a
> political tool.
>
> Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani used it to sidestep the extreme racial
> divisiveness he fostered in the city. Former President George W. Bush
> used it as a Trojan horse to ravage our civil liberties. Dick Cheney
> is still using it to shield his transgressions.
>
> Let us be clear: The fear tactics that work in the hinterlands don�ｿｽt
> work here.
>
> We rose from the ashes of the Twin Towers. We don�ｿｽt need a
> puppeteering politician from Phoenix lecturing us about being tough in
> the face of terror.
Who knew that proud ass kicking Republicans were such pussies when it
came to bringing criminals to justice under the strength of our
Constitution? What a bunch of shit. These terrorists are some bad
people, no doubt, but I'd be a lot more worried about some of the other
criminals we already have in our justice system as far as personal
safety goes. Some lit up homicidal psychopath is far more likely to go
on a rampage than an ideological zealot who's been getting waterboarded
4 times a day along with his electroshock treatment for the last 7 years.
I think the real fear here is that when detainees get their day in
court, it will come out how much permanently damaging torture was
committed against people who's real crime was to piss off some Afghani
who wanted the reward money. There are some real terrorists in Guitmo,
but there are also a significant number of people who don't really pose
that big a danger.
Edwin
--
If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your
enemies.
-Moshe Dayan