Higher Ground

Sometimes the bad guy "gets away." While on occasion I have been uncomfortable with it, I have always been a death penalty supporter. There are some people who commit such horrible acts that the truely humane thing to do is to put them down, like a mad dog. I know if some of the things people do to people were done to any of the people I love I would be insane with feelings of wanting justice through full retribution. I don't see why it should not apply to some of these animals just because I don't personally know or love the victims. Someone always does.

So go ahead and throw my name on the pile of the disappointed people to see that Zacarias Moussaoui escaped the death penalty and instead got life in prision. If this isn't a perfect example of the reason for this form of justice, what is?

However, since i have no personal control or influence in the matter (okay, maybe a letter to a congressman, but he got a fair trial), there is not much else to stew on. I guess the biggest problem with this verdict is no so much the loss of a chance for justice, but instead the overwhelming message of vulnerability we send to the world. What terrorist in his "right" mind isn't reading the news today and thinking, "America is weak. They found him guilty, and they let him live!"

Our consolation in this matter I guess can only be that the United states truely does occupy the moral high ground in this matter. Yes, I'm saying it, we are better. Only in America would such a brutal murderer be given a fair trial, and actually let this person off with their lives? (Unless of course you're just an appeaser like Germany and send the terrorists back home). Only in America is it possible for an organized government to say, we'll do our best to pushish you, but fairly, and should you proove your case, we will leave your eventual fate in the hands of God.