I can't even believe this has happened. What is wrong with our country? When you kill and harm innocent people, what makes you think you deserve to have any rights at all.
I am so pro death penalty, especially for such heinous crimes such as the Ft. Hood killings. I have been following this case since the day it happened. I had a close friend whose family member that was killed by this crazy madman.
Now the judge has been removed for supposedly showing bias towards this man. In this article from the Houston Chronicle, http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Fort-Hood-shooting-judge-removed-for-showing-bias. makes me just want to scream.
This killer has got to have some kind of attorney. He filed an appeal that his treatment by this judge showed impartiality. Just because he should be clean cut and shaved when appearing in court. Give me a break.
If I have to go to court for anything, even a traffic ticket, I have to be clean, showered if possible, and look like a respectable member of society. I am even told what not to wear when I go to face the Judge.
Why should a mass murdered such as Maj. Nidal Hasan be allowed to look like he hasn't bathed in forever, when he is presented in court. I don't care if his religion says he shouldn't shave. He had no problem shaving and serving in our Armed Forces prior to the killings. Why should he get this religious privilege now.
He is just trying to prolong his sentencing. This judge is trying to make this man abide by the right rules. Why is it that when the Judge tries to enforce the rulings, and even the Army appeals court agrees with this ruling can it not be deemed as so. Lets keep taking it higher till someone sees it his way.
This is the reason why we have hundreds of men and women on death row, waiting their punishment. Because they will keep trying to find someone somewhere that sees their punishment or pending punishment as harsh, cruel and biased by the courts.
If you did the crime, take the punishment that comes with it. You made this decision to pick up this gun and kill and harm these innocent people. So I have no sympathy for you and religion. You live in this country, abide by the rules or pay the price for doing wrong.
For blog stage 8, I chose to respond to Averitt's topic "Are You Kidding Me???" in her blog "Disaffected by Politics". Averitt has some agreeable points but is missing some more important topics of Constitutionality.
ReplyDeleteAveritt makes her point more than easily understood about the spectacle that Hasan has made of our courts in regards to his court martial. I would like to first state that I do not disagree with her on what I hope for in results, but rather the process of how we get there is what I feels needs addressing. I would also like to extend my condolences to her, her family, and friends in the death of whom she lost due to Hasan's actions.
Averitt's starts by posing rhetorical questions about cultural values in our society regarding horrific acts of violence and the tolerance that seems to be routinely accepted. I will agree in basic principle that those who commit these horrific acts should not have any rights; however, there is a Universal Declaration of Human Right, Article 11, to innocence until proven guilty in a court of law, beyond a reasonable doubt. Regarding Hasan's Islamic faith, Article 37 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran states: "Innocence is to be presumed, and no one is to be held guilty of a charge unless his or her guilt has been established by a competent court". If we fail to provide the ability for the accused to have a fair trial, many more will not be afforded the opportunity to defend their actual innocence, even in Islamic Iran.
Hasan's appeal for a new judge is nothing more than a stall tactic and will be a bullet in his own foot, or hopefully someplace else. Tragically, people are entitled to the full protection of the law. I side with the author in that Hasan, still a US military officer, should still be forced to comply with the rules and regs of the military, regardless of facing court martial with the possible penalty of death. Cowards hide behind distraction techniques, men do not. Even though the Hasan was able to win an appeal, I'm assuming the Court of Appeals had good reason, which we the public have not yet been privvied to, for granting this appeal. The intent of the first judge was to make Hasan appear presentable. However, Hasan will make himself more and more like an enemy combatant against the US - a terrorist.
According to deathpenaltyinfo.org, a court martial death penalty will be "imposed only if the panel members reach unanimous agreement on four separate points. First, a military defendant cannot be sentenced to death absent a unanimous conviction of a death-eligible offense.... If the panel returns a unanimous conviction, the case then enters the sentencing phase.... The case's outcome will depend upon the [panel] members' resolution of three issues. First, they must determine whether the government has proven a specified aggravating factor beyond a reasonable doubt.... Most of these aggravating factors -- such as killing more than one person or being the triggerman in a felony murder -- are similar to those found in civilian capital punishment schemes. Other factors -- such as committing an offense with the intent to avoid hazardous duty or knowingly endangering a mission -- are unique to the military."
I believe Hasan meets all these criteria. I would only give Averitt this piece of advice; be patient. Everything comes full circle. Hasan will get what he deserves.
Hi Carla,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog entitled, “Are You Kidding Me?” I agree with you on many points and feel your overall frustration with the direction our country is going. There seems to be a culture of political correctness that many times supersedes justice. That our troops, the ones fighting and dying for our freedoms, were the target of such a heinous attack is beyond reason. That this attack was born on our soil, by someone within ranks that was in a position of trust, and that so many lives were lost is unfathomable.
Some feel that the death penalty is even more costly than housing and feeding an inmate for life. Many accused exploit the justice system at enormous cost to taxpayers filing appeal after appeal. The average period of time spent on death row trying to reverse a verdict is 14 years. I feel there should be a limit on appeals and therefore cost to taxpayers. If a jury has given someone death over life imprisonment, society must trust that it is warranted or there is no faith in our system.
America is the best country on earth and I feel that we should preserve and protect the principles of freedom, equality and fairness that have contributed to this greatness. But one can’t help but wonder about the limits of such consideration to those that would abuse it and wreak destruction upon it. While we must honor the very things that make us unique, we must also guard against those who would destroy it and exploit it to the detriment of all of us. We begin to show more concern and compassion for mass murderers than the victims of these crimes, what does that say about society? When our elected officials do not stand up and take a stand against terrorism by at least classifying it as such, what does that say about our society? When people are more concerned with a suspects beard than his crimes, what does that say? This man knew exactly what he was doing and used his insider position to commit a crime with maximum impact and for that I believe he should receive a punishment with maximum impact. America needs to always be willing and able to stand up to terrorism, to send a message of solidarity and strength as well as to honor those who stood for us and by virtue of who they were paid the ultimate price.