On the Moussaoui Trial

I live and work very close to where the trial was going on, so even if I'd tried NOT to think about it, I'd have been aware of the trial of Zaharias Moussaoui.

But I was thinking about it and bracing myself, because I was sure they'd sentence him to death.

I didn't want that.

I wanted Moussaoui locked up for the rest of his life. I wanted him to rot in a prison cell, voiceless and forgotten, not a "martyr".

And the Man and I figured that  the jingoists who wanted Moussaoui executed to satisfy their thirst for venegance, the ones who ignore the fact that one of those commandments they want in every courtroom reads "thou shalt not kill", would prevade.

We were wrong. And happily so, if the word "happy" can be used in terms of this whole affair.

What really surprises me though is the reaction of most of the people I've heard interviewed on the news for their reaction to the verdict.

I expected howls of outrage, but they seem to be far and few. Even many of the survivors and their families are praising the verdict as justice in action.

Moussaoui thinks he won--that we're weak because we didn't kill him. And that's where he's wrong.

We're stronger for this. We have shown that life is NOT cheap in this country, that we can get past  our most primitive cravings for revenge and truly dispense justice.

We did that in that courtroom.  My hope is that one day we can do it in ALL courtrooms and beyond.

But hearing that verdict made me proud to be an American.

And that's not something I've been able to say a lot lately.

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