Sunday, June 13, 2004

American justice

Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols may have been spared the death penalty for a second time because a jailhouse conversion to Christianity gained him sympathy from the jury, lawyers in the case said Saturday.
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Who says justice is blind?

It was a long shot thought, because it didn't work for Karla Faye Tucker.

During the sentencing portion of his trial, defense witnesses testified that Nichols had worn out four Bibles through prayer and research, and that he wrote an 83-page letter to a prayer partner in Michigan while trying to make a point about Christian faith.

"Terry Nichols' belief in God is so firm that he believes if the rapture occurred today he is going to heaven," defense attorney Creekmore Wallace told jurors.

How many of those jurors would be inclined to give the same regard to your average Islamic jihadist who firmly believes he's going to heaven upon his death? Hm?

I'd like to believe firmly that they were simply following a different ideal - one that the defense attorney remarked on...

"There was not a valid reason for killing him other than the seeking of vengeance. There's no place for vengeance in the courtroom."

Slake that thirst elsewhere.