Terrorism

["fasterhorses" <fasterhorses@gilanet.com>]

My concern is that so many people have decided bin Laden's guilt without
*knowing for sure* that he/his group was responsible.  I am very concerned
about this lynch-mob attitude that's going around.  What happened to the
American notion of "innocent until proven guilty"?    Any terrorist
sympathizer could be hired to do the job of hijacking some planes - does
that mean the hiring party *must* have been bin Laden?  When it comes to
murder trials, the jury is instructed to be sure "beyond reasonable doubt"
about the guilt of the accused because sending the innocent to death is NOT
tolerated in the USA.  Bin Laden and his group are apparently on trial here
for murder. Will we have a kangaroo court, where guilt is decided before the
proof?

No matter what kind of a scumbag the accused is, I support the American
concept of innocent until proven guilty because once We the People fudge the
tenets upon which our whole way of life rests it becomes easier to fudge
again.  True strength means standing for principles even when the going gets
tough.  Well, friends, this is *very* tough going.  It is time to inspect
our beliefs.  Will they stand or will they fall because we got hurt and we
want to hit back?

I don't want us to become that which we say we are against.