One-Upsmanship and Checkmate

Zacharias Moussaoui: "God curse America and save Osama Bin Laden. You'll never get him. America, you have lost."

Judge Leonie M. Brinkema: "Well, Mr. Moussaoui, if you look around this courtroom today, every person in this room when this proceeding is over will leave this courtroom, and they are free to go anyplace they want. They can go outside, they can feel the sun, they smell fresh air."

"You will spend the rest of your life in a super-maximum security facility. In terms of winners and losers, it's quite clear who won and who lost."

Mr. Moussaoui: "That was my choice."

Judge Brinkema: "It was hardly your choice. As for you, Mr. Moussaoui, you came here to be a martyr and to die in a great big bang of glory, but to paraphrase the poet T. S. Eliot, instead you will die with a whimper. (after Moussaoui tried to interrupt her) "You will never again get a chance to speak, and that is an appropriate and fair ending."

I think Judge Brinkema and I could be fast friends.

Open Comment To Mr. Moussaoui:

Judge Brinkema pretty much covered it all, but please allow me to list what will transpire immediately after that whimper:

Torment.
Begging the God or Abraham for mercy.
Agony.
Flames.
Asking those in paradise & comfort for water to cool your tongue.
An giant, uncrossable & fixed chasm.
Begging God to warn your family so they can avoid the torment.

You'll have lots of time to think in your new home. Use it wisely.

A few suggestions:

Please read Luke 16: 19--31.

Then follow it up with the entire book of John.

Choose wisely.

As difficult as it is, praying for my enemies is something I'm encouraged to do.

As difficult as it is, consider that done.

If only dying with a whimper were really the end of it.
If only America winning was really the end of it.
And, if you only understood the depths of Judge Brinkema's words "appropriate" and "fair."

I assure you they'll take on new meanings in about 30 years.