Musical Interludes and AOTW

Go ahead, press play. Unless you are a complete music snob you'll get the point:

Justice is lost
Justice is raped
Justice is gone

I'd like to say that I'm going to have fun with this post as I always do, but I don't have the energy and the subject matter is too damned serious.  So let's get to it:

Lady Justice is Asshat of the Week!

While it has its flaws, our criminal justice system is something that, as Americans, we can be proud of.  With each day, more of the inequities that were present in the past are being worked out, and the law takes shape.  It's a system that lives on appeals in the case of a guilty verdict, many chances for a second chance, and even letting the guilty go free (OJ), because the system defaults to not guilty.  All of this means that we generally do our best to be open and make sure that only the guilty go to prison.

But the Obama administration has decided to move terrorists, including 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, from Guantanamo Bay to New York City to stand trial in civilian court.  It's a concept that I can't come up with a joke for.

Let's look at it from the point of view we would look at any trial.

First, there's the matter of a jury.  I'm trying to imagine a person who was aware of the world that could be called for jury duty in NYC that WASN'T affected by the events of 9/11.  There is no such thing as an impartial jury here.  You'd have problems going to an Amish community and finding someone not aware of the events of 9/11.  So you have two camps.  People that want to see these terrorists die, and people that want to hurt the USA.

Next is the matter of jurisdiction.  The acts of terrorism (oops, downgrade that to crime) that the terrorist pieces of shit are accuses of are allegedly killing 3000 people by allegedly having 18 guys allegedly fly 4 alleged planes into the two WTC towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania.  However, these scum were captured in another country as a part of a military option designed to hunt down foreign terrorists.  This is probably the best reason to shoot terrorists first and ask questions later (through some bastard that talks to the dead).

Now, let's talk evidence.  There was, of course, what we saw that Tuesday morning, excessively documented.  There's also all the intelligence sources that we will have to reveal to the public (and thus the terrorists), lest the intel be thrown out by the court.  And let's not forget the confessions, which may evaporate once the non-Mirandized, taken under duress nature comes up.

Which brings us to the confusion the defense will sow.  Will we hear from the 9/11 truthers and every crackpot theory as to how it wasn't KSM and company, but the Bush administration that staged everything?  Will they call witnesses that are hidden in Pakistan (like Osama Bin Laden himself), and maybe even ask for temporary amnesty so they can testify?  And when the terrorists take the stand, will it be the usual questions, or will it be the opportunity to indict the evil Americans for every "crime" they've ever committed in the world?

In the end, they'll probably be convicted.  And the fact I have to say probably should scare the shit out of all of you.  Because as I noted above, the civilian court system goes out of its way to give every advantage to the accused.  And our enemy knows this, and will use it. And if, somehow, they manage to not be convicted, what then?  And even if we get the conviction, it means years and years of appeals.  For fucking terrorists.

So for a decision that rapes our justice system, and because I'll reserve Obama's AOTW for when the trial goes South, I give it to the symbol of the justice system this time.