What Is Wrong With Our Justice?

The recent loud and semi-obnoxious debate over the location of the trial for the alleged "mastermind" of September 11th, and the decision by the Obama Administration to try the "Christmas Day" bomber in federal "civilian" criminal court, simply stuns me. The very same people who stand up over and over again, yelling that they are proud to be Americans, are also saying they don't trust the American judicial system. They somehow believe the despite millions of successful convictions, the destruction of too many to name criminal organizations, laborious criminal investigations, this judicial system can not find a way to obtain even more evidence against other potential terrorists or that by somehow allowing a terrorist his day in court we are granting "special rights."

Even if we tried these men in military court they would have something similar to a Miranda warning and be appointed lawyers.

But by trying them in our federal "civilian" courts, we confirm that this country is, indeed, not some backwater, oppressive sinkhole or totalitarian regime like China. And not that we need to say this to the world, but rather, we need to remind ourselves, daily, why we are indeed proud to be Americans. Our criminal justice system works. The Christmas Day bomber is talking, hundreds of terrorists since September 11th have talked, given up details of other plots, of other defendants. Judges have handed down severe sentences. Even the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the one circuit conservatives love to bash, demanded a stiffer sentence of a terrorist recently convicted in the Western District of Washington.

So, those who want to tell me they are proud to be an American but don't want to see terrorists tried in federal court...well, it's America. Love it or leave it.