Don't Tread on Me.....

I believe in the death penalty. I do not believe that it should be a blanket penalty however; I feel that it should be handled on a case by case basis. It should be reserved for the most heinest of crimes, and the most despicable of people who truly can not be rehabilitated. I do believe there is a difference between an addict, strung out on drugs who kills someone - and the Jeffrey Dahmers of the world. The crime is no less violent - the victim no less important. I just do have the hopes that people can change given certain circumstances. People like Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, and many others - do not. There are a number of cases that I can site where I believe the death penalty should've been exercised here in Massachusetts alone, let alone nationwide.

But what infuriates me, is that a jury of Americans - people supposedly representative of being my peers - could have the opportunity to exercise the death penalty on Zacarias Moussaoui and opt not to.
I understand the "forgiveness" aspect in opposition to the death penalty. I understand that while he's considered the "20th hijacker" - he didn't actually get on a plane and go - so he's truly only an "accessory to" the crimes. However, he has a fundamental and flagrant disrespect and disgust for our country and all that we stand for....all that we are. I don't care if he was abused by his father as a child and manipulated by Al'Queda. I have no sympathy, no compassion for him. There are far better people in this world than he, who have been treated far worse - and they do not revel in the grisly demise of innocent people. And I'm sorry - is he not an "illegal alien" - therefore he shouldn't be allowed the benefits of protection by our laws? I can understand trying him here, as he committed a crime here - and I can understand not deporting him; why send him back out to do more harm.

But why should we allow him to stay here, alive?
Why give him life in prison? So we can control him? We can't control him or his communications any more on the inside than we can on the "outside". There are always communications between gangs, mobsters and other walks of life from within the confines of a prison. So tell me, what would be the point.

Let's say for arguements sake, he's kept in solitary confinement, which I would be very surprised to see happen - there's still communication with the outside world. They're still allowed letters. And people like him are patient. They lie in wait....the letters may seem benign but I assure you they would regurgitate the disdain and contempt for the very country and the likes of who kept him alive. He is not protected by my first amendment right.

Why should my tax money pay to support the likes of him in a federal prison? Why should he be afforded the comforts of "three hots and a cot" on my back? Why should he be allowed to be in a prison to live out his days protected by the very Constitution on which he spits upon....

Upon leaving the courtroom yesterday, Moussaoui said, "America, you lose. I win."

And you know what? I think he may very well be right.