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November 19th, 2009
01:01 PM ET
We Listen – Your comments 11/19/2009
Editor's Note: Attorney General Eric Holder’s appearance on Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee generated strong opinion and questions for Thursday’s "American Morning" audience. While the majority supported a trial in New York City at the federal court level, some wondered if alternative courts would be more appropriate.
- Bill: I don’t believe the terrorist should be tried in NYC. Are we going to try every one we capture in the U.S. Why should the tax payers have to pay for this trial. We have been hurt enough already. Holder is an idiot.
- Sue: Regarding trying terrorists in civilian court. I am a mental health professional and believe that trying the terrorists in New York would stimulate an adverse response for those who suffer from PTSD related to Twin Tower Attacks. No terrorist should be afforded the rights of an American to be tried by a jury of their peers. If that were the case you would have to round up peers (terrorists) in order for him to get a "fair" trial. Let the military handle this, they are much better equipped to do so!
- Mark: Why can't we ask the World Court at the Hague to hold a trial for the terrorists? Do they do that anymore? Wasn't 9/11 a crime against all humanity?
- David: If the trial of the sheik is done in either court system and he is found guilty with the death penalty, where would he be housed while all the appeals are used, which more than likely would take years? I also understand that the military has not executed anyone in years. So where is the justice?
- Lee: Why is no one talking about the right of the terrorists to a speedy trial? I am sure any defense attorney will file a motion to dismiss based on the denial of a speedy trial. Why would that motion not succeed?
What is your opinion on where the trial of the accused 9/11 conspirators should be held?
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Kiran, I'm disappointed by your interview of Republican Chairman Michael Steele. He stated that the health reform bill shouldn't have been voted through because it hasn't been debated. First, and most important, the purpose of the vote was to allow debate, not to pass the bill. I expect our news anchors to know the difference and to hold public officials accountable when they purposely mislead.
Second, the bill has been widely debated even before going to the Senate floor and the American people want it. I very much support airing both sides of a debate but I expect you to hold these officials feet to the fire and not let them get away with such blatant falsehoods and misrepresentations.
You know it occurs to me that people never ask the right questions. I would like someone to think of something that they could ask their senators over the holidays. Then arrange debates with community leaders and the senators when they go home. Have it about why the senators should be allowed to vote for funding for groups that they sit on the board of directors for.. and how that's not a conflict of interest? Why isn't the money being spent on the communitys? Why is it all going to salaries and no workers are outside of the offices? Where is the money we're already giving for upkeep of our communities being spent? Since they control the purse strings.. why can't they fix things with the corporations they are directors of? I could think of a million questions i could ask about their agendas. Those are all public records. Can they explain to my accountant why there is so much abuse and corruption in their groups and none in ours?
You do know people that you have money in your communities already?? It's there. It's just not being spent well. Take for example just the waste from my senators groups. We could all perform those services and jobs far more efficently. All we need to do is ask. Now the politicians have the community development block grants locked up. The SBA dosen't do any outreach.. and the senators are wasting millions in the government run social services agencies. Millions.. and with empty building space they could be using for day care and classrooms and senior daycare for working people. They could pay every family that's unemployed in the county tens of thousands of dollars each to get back on track for what they spend on their own salaries. Wouldn't even need to subsidize anything if they'd do that. Just give us back the waste and abuse already.
Well.. since i'm just making general comments anymore. I don't see why the senators shouldn't be allowed to appoint one county community planner for every county in their state. Just give them the title and the responsibilites they need to do the job. Have them sponsored thru the American Red Cross like i was. Have them tied into their list. Which needs to be updated. Cause i don't know why they didn't call me when katrina hit.. but i was on the voulenteer list. And with scuba trainning and homebuilding as skills.. you'd of thunk they'd of at least called. But have that fixed as well as setting up the network of communications between Community planners in each county. Produce a list of area groups and foundations.. and then just fix the community themselfs.
No one else talking on this topic? I must be in the wrong thread then. but here goes again. I would challenge Stabenow to give me the same amount she has in her budget. And let me repurpose the abandoned military housing complex... and let me keep the savings and profits from it. I'll bring in the non profits and the donors. just give me a fancy job title like community planner and the responsibilities that goe along with the compensation. I'm sorry if i don't have a MBA or anything.. but my grandfather was a senator too. From Maine.. and he built three towns on his own. And that was way back in a different era before they had PBS and online courses. If he could do it with his methods.. i can too. Just let me know if anyone else wants to fix their own communities too.. cause if you ask me. We could all do our own communites for free. Healthcare included.
I am serious here folks.. it's not easy starting a business when you have to compete against the government. I don't see why the politicians can't just appoint one community planner for every county. Give them control over how the money is spent. Have them work with the municipalities they serve. And the problem will be gone. Just let us fix it for free.. or better yet. At a profit. I promise you i can do much better with all those homes than tearing them down. That's just a complete waste what they did to the homes on selfridge. If you ask me.. they could at least offer those to groups like habitat. I would of taken them if i was still on their board. In fact i would of asked for them. I know my old group isn't as active anymore as it used to be. But they could certainly handle fixing the homes. JMHO..
You know what i think would be a good show idea. Get a panel of small business owners or want to be owners, chamber of commerce, SBA, educators and Senator Stabenow together. Maybe at the college auditorium here. Have her answer how she intends to spend that 10 million extra she just got the CSSA for this year. I can read their agendas and tell her if she wants. But, i want answers from her lying lips. I offer to do the job for free. Give me the contract to eliminate homelessness, improve education, provide jobs, low income housing and small business start up assistance. I am more than qualified to do it. Ask the panel who can do it better? I'll blow the whistle on all the waste in her programs if she wants.. but i'd perfer to have the empty military housing complex donated to my business. Just to have some leverage to bring in the starting non profit groups.
Theres what would make me happy. Just spend what you got now right and you won't have a budget problem. Give me the contract to repurpose the closed base property and i'll do it for cost.
Well.. thinking bout it.. SBA isn't really that bad. Just they don't have any outreach. They should be on every cable channel helping people. No one knows where their office is in the county municipal buildings... and they just don't rearch out thru any other way. They do have excellent one on one trainning, seminars, and booklets. Just they don't have the mentoring anc contacts like you'd get thru the chamber of commerce. Which if you ask me is alot easier to work thru.
Dear CNN... just saw that story on your morning show. Thank you. Love the topic and it was extremely informative for me. I too am starting a new business. But, it's not all that simple to get financing for startups. I Already did the non-profits and did it well. I'm ready to run my own business using what i've learned so far. I had a good run of it.. had thousands of people help me.. got to go to college for free and had alot of fun. But now it's me time.. my daughters are at that age where they want to go to college. So i'm helping them get the same scholarships i got from various charity groups. Then i'm looking to travel. I'd like to take my skills that i learned thru habitat for humanity and United Way and Red cross and use it in some places that need it most. I beleive it will go a long ways towards solving alot of problems. Back in 94 our local group sponsored a sister group in africa.. supposedly built 75 houses back then. One day i'd like to go see what we got for our money. Anyways.. my business will be to ask the government for the contract to fix the Tsunami warning system. I'll do it for a dollar. Just so long as i can get a ride over there with my friends. I'm qualified. Know alot of better electricians than myself even. And lots of other skill sets that i can choose from. So why not? I used to be friends with the Rescue recon squadran here.. they do that stuff on a smaller scale all the time. Just with empty cargo holds. I know quite a few people who can hitch rides with them.. i'm just gonna ask if they'd do it. It will be alot of materials and labor to upgrade their system. Wouldn't hurt to develop an evacuation route ither.. but my proposal would be to put in pirate warning sirens along the african coast as well. I used to do electronics too. I know they can equip ships with radio frequency alet buttons that could set them off. And of course i'd need students to train for DART.. which is the group i belonged to for red cross back a decade ago. That is if they want to pay for it. I can't do much without financing... and right now i still have to come up with a plan for a whole lot of empty duplexs. That's just a tie in with my other projects.. but i could also rewire and repair all the closed military housing units in my backyard. I've got plenty of possible job contracts therre.. but i got no money in my s corporation yet. Just one real shareholder. my accountant from 15 years ago. And.. well you all know the rest about how greedy and ineffective SBA is. They aren't much more help. Without credit though.. and without a job.. there is no financing for us micro incs.
Does anywone really hear themselves, most of the comments here are done by more ignorant loud people that honestly show how they know very little about the law. It's a good thing we have colleges to educate.
I can't believe how stupid Americans are.
I do not for the life of me understand why you would not want to try the terrorists in the country where the crimes were commited. It's ironic that US policy makers have the stomach to commit thousands of american lives to ousting an Iraqi dictator and then put him on trial in his country. Why...obviously because these were crimes against the Iraqi people. Imagine the uproar if the US would have tried to take Sadam out of Iraq to put him in a US military trial in Cuba.
The argument used to be that the Geneva convention did not apply to the terrorists since they were not "enemy combatants" in the true sense of the word. Now the argument is that since they are enemy combatants they should be tried in a military court!
There is a place where you can put these people on trial and not have to worry about either Cuba or New-york and that is the International Courts in The Hague. Many have been sentenced to life by the courts for atrocities, genocide and crimes against humanity. America, if you do not have the stomach to do what's right (your own dirty laundry), give it to us an we will do it for you...it wont be the first time.
I remember the 2-26-1993 North Tower of the World Trade Center bombed-attacked under the Presidency of Bill Clinton, 6 dead, 1000 injured. We gave them civilian trials and it made no difference to them, what we got was a 2nd attack to our country. I read Ramzi Yousef’s admitted the 1993 attack was an act of terrorism. I read His uncle, Shaikh Mohammed Ali Fadden, was involved in the 911 attack as well as 1993 attack. I read Nosair was convicted of guns in Federal Court but acquitted of murder in Criminal Court. The 911 terrorists should be tried in Military Court, they attacked our country, NY is our country. Lets stop this political gimmick that the US needs to restore its reputation with the world because it has been tarnished by Gitmo, interrogation methods, war in Iraq, Afghanistan when these nations have Human Rights/Civil Rights at the bottom of their list or not on the list at all. Of course they don’t like Gitmo, interrogation methods, war anymore than they like Human Rights/Civil Rights, that would be like a druggy getting happy that a local rehab center has opened to help druggies fight their addiction. I am very proud of our US military, their work in protecting & defending those that cannot help themselves and doing all they can to insure the safety of all of us as well as others.
Yes, yes, yes.....NYC is thye best place for this trial. The only issus is that the Republicans have made it a political issue rather than simple logic of law. The Bush posse nailed only 3 terrorists while the civil legal system nailed 95 or so. The supposed macho Republicans are afraid that the Obama team will show them how to handle terrorists and justice. The GOP has become hypocritical weenies.
NYC is the only, ONLY place that the terrorists should be tried. The legal system has already convicted nearly 200 terrorists in simiar courts. The GOP is simply afraid and embarrassed that the Obama administration will accomplish what they did not have the guts to do.
I agree with the choice of NY. I am not sure they will be able to find jury that is not bias anywhere in the world
Here we are telling the world democracy is the way to go and we are suppose to be the most powerful country in the world...
1) we should be showing the world how wacked these people are and how fair we are....
2) are the opponents saying were unable to protect ourselves from a rag tag group of extremist... heaven forbid the Chinese or North Koreans attack...
Fact: terrorism cannot be stopped... short of denying everyone all their liberties as done by those we are putting on trial.. we have to show the world we are not afraid...
But all this talk is standard paranoid, fear mongering by the GOP...
the new GOP fascist movement are masters at propaganda... and are doing more to hurt this country than the terrorist...
About the woman in Walmart, this is becoming all to common, black people pushing their way around and when someone stands up to them they are called racists! I`ve had enough of this! Every since Obama was elected some in the black community feel like they can do what they want and if anyone stands in their way they call racism! I say throw the book at her and give her the max, set a standard to these people! All I can say shes lucky she wasnt butting in line in front of me! Start acting like human beings and not like animals!
I believe that this city can try these terrorists fairly. We know they are guilty because they have confessed. Although, the trial will certainly open old wounds I believe it would provide clousure to the victims and their families. My only regret is that I don't qualitfy to sit in the jury because I'm disabled and have been exempt for years.....sad but true!However, if the goverment wants to look past that I would be more than willing to serve even at the cost of my own health. Please make my day!!!!!!
I just can't understand all the fuss on this – if *anyone* should have the right to seek justice locally, it should be New Yorkers. They were the ones that were attacked and killed, it was their community that was damaged, and I do not find it at all hard to believe that a New York jury would come to to the obvious conclusion and find him guilty. Not after everything they've been through.
Hopefully it's life in prison, though – no sense making the man a martyr like he wants.
I have a suggestion that I think will change the way interviews with most elected officials can be conducted: On the crawler, list the contributors and contribution amounts to the current speaker's campaign. This should save a lot of time because it will make it very simple to predict what the interviewee will say. For example, many of those who are espousing a surge of troops in Afghanistan will be shown with contributors from the military-industrial complex, proving that Eisenhower's warning is accurate.
I thought the interview this morning with the defense attorney regarding the up coming KSM trial was one of the best and most informative in a very long time. It was interesting and very non-political information. Thank you John and Kirin