Speaking of the death penalty...

[WilliamPitt]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/18/moussaoui.trial/index.html

9/11 families to testify for Moussaoui
From Phil Hirschkorn
CNN

Tuesday, April 18, 2006; Posted: 9:36 a.m. EDT (13:36 GMT)

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (CNN) -- About a dozen relatives of September 11 attack victims were expected to begin testifying Tuesday as part of the defense effort to spare al Qaeda conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui's life.

Most of the family members lost loved ones in the attack on the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

One of the family members expected to appear for the defense is Alice Hoagland. She's the mother of Mark Bingham, 31, a passenger on United Flight 93, the hijacked plane that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Hoagland, who was in court observing the trial Monday, said in a recent interview with CNN that she hopes that the United States would show Moussaoui more mercy than his confederates showed September 11 victims.

...more...

As an opponent of the death penalty, this takes my breath away. As far as these family members are concerned, this fellow was involved in the plot that killed their loved ones. Even in their shattering loss, they intend to stand up in court and ask that his life be spared.

That, my friends, is courage. Wherever you may stand on this issue, you cannot deny the strength of character being displayed by these families.

[varkam]

1. I, for one, an unable to comprehend the position that they are taking...

But I certainly admire it. If it were me, and I had lost my loved ones on 9/11, then I would hope that I could proceed with the same dignity and respect for all human life; but I simply cannot say as to whether nor not I would. I think that those who are arguing to spare the life of Moussaoui, those who lost people they loved because of a plan he was a part of...they have the type of moral character that is a rarity indeed - something we should all aspire to be more like.

[lapislzi]

2. The quality of mercy is not strain'd

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown.
His scepter shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings.
But mercy is above this sceptered sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings;
It is an attribute of God himself;
And earthly power doth then show like God’s
When mercy seasons justice.
(Merchant of Venice)

...or, if you prefer Michelle Shocked,

Yes vengeance and revenge
Are just two words for pain
And the quality of mercy is not strained

[Shakespeare]

12. One of my favorite passages from Shakespeare....

...and one of my favorite Michelle Shocked songs.

Well said, lapislzi.

[cali]

13. I love that piece of Shakespeare

but I always find it amusing that it was Portia who spoke those lines. A less sympathetic Shakespearean heroine is hard to find.

[MnFats]

3. one hopes that one would maintain anti=death penalty beliefs...

...even if the issue became so very personal. One imagines, but one prays never to face such a dilema...

the death penalty amounts to state-sanctioned murder. I want no part of it -- no level of government putting people to death in my name...

[Warpy]

4. Having the state murder someone in your name makes it worse

That's the way I felt about it when I survived the murder of a family member. I wanted the man locked up so he couldn't do it again (he was suspected in 3 other murders in that town). He was locked up and eventually died in prison and never did it again.

In a lot of ways he was quite like Moussaoui, a guy with a lousy childhood and a completely twisted mental status who was considered sane enough to stand trial but who was obviously INsane.

I can also relate to the sensational nature of this one because the murder I survived was sensationalized in the true crime pulp magazines of the day.

I am against the death penalty. I say this as a survivor, too.

[sharp_stick]

5. Why do they hate America?

"As an opponent of the death penalty, this takes my breath away. As far as these family members are concerned, this fellow was involved in the plot that killed their loved ones. Even in their shattering loss, they intend to stand up in court and ask that his life be spared."

Shouldn't they be screaming for blood? Every repuke talking point has America calling for blood at every turn, anybody with a middle eastern name must be considered an enemy until proven pacified?

Honestly though, I've always been amazed by people that can ask for some form of mercy for a person that they consider responsible for the horrible deaths of their family member(s). I like to think that I could do it too, but I don't know if I'd be up to it. I hope I never find out.

[Coexist]

6. "I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice."

Abraham Lincoln, speech in Washington D.C., 1865
16th president of US (1809 - 1865)

[WilliamPitt]

7. .

[peacebaby3]

8. I work in the "death belt" on capital cases. A group that I have always

admired is Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation.

<http://www.mvfr.org/AboutMVFR.htm>

Edit:

Sorry, typo.

[Jacobin]

9. I applaud them

What you find from experienced grief counselers in these situations, is that the first reaction is to seek revenge, which in the end is hollow and meaningless and creates further harm to the victim's family.

I'm reminded of a dear lady whose daughter was kidnapped and murdered by a criminal who was awful enough to call her on her dead daughter's birthday and taunt her. Amazingly, rather than scream at him, she began a long dialgue with him, encouraged him to call more, told him she forgave him. The end result after months of their conversations was that he turned himself in. She still visits him in jail. She doesn't want him killed. She doesn't believe in murder.

She is what people used to call a Christian. Now she would be demonized as some candy-assed liberal.

She is at peace. She no longer suffers from the trauma that seeking revenge inflicts on victim's families and she caught the murderer that killed her daughter and he's in jail.

The people who are speaking out to keep this guy from being killed are to be commended (the press will villify them). They understand what it takes to heal from the horror of their loss and they will be whole people again someday, with their humanity intact, unlike the vengence seekers who want to kill someone, anyone, as long as they can get some Old Testament blood bath going.

Blessed be the peace makers.

[Auntie Bush]

10. I applaud them too but maybe for other reasons. I think letting

them live realizing how beautiful these people are will shower them with guilt.

Timothy McVeigh was constantly suffering in prison at the loss of his freedom, no sunshine, no family, no nothing! Well how much is he suffering now? NONE WHATSOEVER! Unless you believe he is burning in hell. Frankly I doubt it! He has no remorse now, no pain, just nothingness. So I say let them live and suffer for the rest of their life. No easy out!

[ulysses]

11. an awful dignity.

Thanks for posting this, Will.

[cali]

14. They take my breath away too.

And they set an example for all of us.

[DinahMoeHum]

15. Here's another who might be called to testify. . .Andrew Rice

http://www.theforgivenessproject.com/stories/andrew-rice

(snip)
On September 11 2001, investment banker David Rice was killed when the World Trade Centre collapsed. Since then, his younger brother, Andrew Rice, has dedicated himself to trying to understand the underlying causes of violence. He is a member of Peaceful Tomorrows, a group founded by family members of September 11 victims seeking effective non-violent responses to terrorism.
(snip)
"...a group called Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation were contacted by the mother of the alleged 20th hijacker, Zacharias Moussaoui, who has been held in solitary confinement in Northern Virginia since September 11. She had a unique request. She wanted to meet some of the families of the victims and ask for their forgiveness.
(snip)
"One day I’d like to meet Zacharias Moussaoui. I’d like to say to him, ‘you can hate me and my brother as much as you like, but I want you to know that I loved your mother and I comforted her when she was crying’.

My attitude is not all altruism. Of course I’m angry, but there’s a spiritual supremacy. I’m protecting my brother’s spirit by putting a barricade around him. I’m refusing to fall in line with what “they” want, which is visceral hatred between two sides; this gives me permission to reconcile. Those people crying loudest for retribution so often seem to be the least affected.”
(snip)

www.peacefultomorrows.org

BTW, Andrew Rice is running for State Senator in Oklahoma:
www.andrewforoklahoma.com