luvmykid's Blog

We all seek miracles at one time or another but, don't really know where to find them or, know what the signs are that it has already happened.  I have come to learn that a miracle does not necessarily have to come the way you requested it.  It can be sent in many different ways.  Ways that are unclear to us as to why it came that way.  Sometimes, inorder for a prayer to be answered, other things have to change.  It's not a price that we pay for what we have asked for, but, kind of like an exchange.  Sometimes, we don't like the outcome, but, always remember, that EVERYTHING happens for a reason. 

_____

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.
 
 
 She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three
 times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.
 
 
 Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she
 slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with
 the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.
 
 She waited patiently for  the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment.   Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat
 with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good.

Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it! 

'And what do you want?' the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of  voice. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages,' he
 said without waiting for a reply to his question. 

'Well, I want to talk  to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. 'He's  really, really sick...and I want to buy a miracle.' 

 

 

'I beg your pardon?'   said the pharmacist. 

 

'His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?' 

 

'We don't sell miracles here, little girl.
 I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said, softening a little. 

'Listen , I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get
 the rest. Just tell me how much it costs..' 

The pharmacist's brother was
 a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a
 miracle does your brother need?' 

' I don't know,' Tess replied with her
 eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an
 operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money.' 
'How much do you have?' asked the man from Chicago 

'One dollar  and eleven cents,' Tess answered barely audibly.
 
 'And it's all the money  I have, but I can get some more if I need to.'
 
 'Well, what a  coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a
 miracle for little brothers. '
 
 He took her money in one hand and with  the other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I want  to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you  need.' 
 

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon,  specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it  wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well. 

 

Mom and Dad were  happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.
 
 
 'That surgery,' her Mom whispered. 'was a real miracle. I wonder how
 much it would have cost?' 
 
Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost..one dollar and eleven cents....plus the faith of a little child. 

_______________

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need. 

A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law. 
 
 
 ______________ 
A ball is a circle, no beginning, no  end. It keeps us together like our Circle o f Friends. But the treasure inside  for you to see is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.
 
 Today  I pass the friendship ball to you. 
 
  
 MY OATH T O YOU...
 
 When you are sad....I will dry your
 tears. 
 
When you are scared.....I will comfort your fears.
 
 When  you are worried.....I will give you hope.
 
 When you are confused.....I  will help you cope.
 
 And when you are lost....And can't see the light,

I shall be your beacon....Shining ever so bright.
 
 This is my oath.....

I pledge till the end. 
 
Why you may ask?....Because you're my friend. 

 

Signed: GOD 
 
 

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.' Lucky was a real  character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn  their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help

himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.

Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys. Lucky always stashed  his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the  box.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her  she was going to die of this disease.... in fact; she was just sure it was  fatal.

She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night  before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck  her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim,  he was Mary's dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary  thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him. The thought  made her sadder than thinking of her own death. The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.

Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary  was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap. Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.

When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally

blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the sorrowing dog  had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his  favorite things in life. He had covered her with his love.

Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day.

It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.

Remember....live every day to the fullest. And never forget....the people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards They are the ones that care for us.

If you see someone without a smile today give them one of yours! Live simply. Love seriously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

 

 

Another person dead due to an officers "mistake".

Now, is this an accident?  Could it have been prevented?

***************************

Calif. Newlywed Killed by Police in Case of Mistaken Identity Wednesday, October 29, 2008

 A newlywed killed by police after he stepped outside his home to confront suspected burglars was shot in a case of mistaken identity, police said.

Julian Alexander died after being shot twice in the chest by a police officer who was chasing four burglary suspects early Tuesday morning.

Police Chief John Welter said the officer ran into Alexander, mistook him for one of the four juvenile suspects and shot him.

 "The last thing we ever want to do, No. 1, (is) take somebody's life," he said. "And we certainly don't want to take the life of someone who is mistakenly believed to be involved in some criminal activity."

"He was a good kid, trying to protect his house," said Alexander's mother-in-law Michelle Mooney. "And the police, instead of asking questions, they just shot first. Somebody has to be held responsible for this."

Welter would not release the officer's name, but said he was a 10-year veteran of the department. The officer was placed on paid leave pending an investigation.

"It's mistaken identity, but that doesn't bring my son back," said Alexander's father Jerry.

He said Alexander got married last weekend and his 19-year-old wife is expecting a baby in December. Alexander's wife said she heard the gunshots and tried to go into the yard, but the officer told her to stay inside. From the window they saw Alexander handcuffed and bleeding in the front yard. Paramedics treated him at the scene and took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The four burglary suspects were detained and interviewed, but no arrests were made.

Welter said investigators would interview the officer to determine what commands he gave to Alexander before he fired.

Investigations will be conducted by the FBI, the Orange County Office of Independent Review and the district attorney's office, Welter said.

In September 1960,

 

 I woke up one morning with six hungry babies

and just 75 cents in my pocket. 
Their father was gone.

 

The boys ranged from three months

to seven years;

 their sister was two.

  

Their Dad had never been

 much more than a presence

 they feared. 
Whenever they heard   

his tires crunch on the gravel driveway they would scramble  

to hide under their beds.
He did manage to leave $15 

a week to buy groceries.
Now that he had decided to leave,  

there would be no more beatings,  

but no food either.

If there was a welfare system  

in effect in southern Indiana  

at that time,  

 I certainly knew nothing about it.  

 

 I scrubbed the kids until  

they looked brand new and  

 then put on my best  

     homemade dress, 

loaded them into the rusty  

old 51 Chevy  

and drove off to find a job. 

The seven of us went to every factory, 

 store and restaurant in our  

small town.

 

No luck.
The kids stayed crammed into the car and tried to be quiet  

while I tried to convince  

who ever would listen that I was willing to learn or do anything.

 

I had to have a job.

Still no luck.

 

The last place we went to,  

just a few miles out of town,

was an old Root Beer Barrel drive-in  

that had been converted to a truck stop.

 

It was called the Big Wheel.
An old lady named Granny  

owned the place and  

she peeked out of the window  

from time to time at all those kids.

 

She needed someone on the graveyard shift,  

11 at night until seven in the  

morning.
She paid 65 cents an hour,  

 and I could start that night. 

I raced home and  

called the teenager down the  

street that baby-sat for people
I bargained with her  

to come and sleep on my sofa 

for a dollar a night. 

She could arrive with her pajamas on and the kids would already be asleep  

This seemed like a good arrangement to her,  

 so we made a deal.

 

That night when the little ones and I knelt to say our prayers, we all thanked God for finding Mommy a job. And so I started at the Big Wheel. 

When I got home in the mornings I woke the baby-sitter up and sent her home with one dollar of my tip money-- fully half of what I averaged every night. 

As the weeks went by, heating bills added a strain to my  

meager wage. 
The tires on the old Chevy had the consistency of penny balloons and began to leak. I had to fill them with air on the way to work and again every morning before I could go home.

 

One bleak fall morning, I dragged myself to the car to go home and found four tires in the back seat. New tires!  

There was no note, no nothing, just those beautiful brand new tires. 
Had angels taken up residence in Indiana ? I wondered.

I made a deal with the local service station. 
In exchange for his mounting the new tires, I would clean  

up his office. 

I remember it took me a lot longer to scrub his floor than it did for him to do the tires. 

I was now working six nights instead of five and it still wasn't enough. 

Christmas was coming and I knew there would be no money for toys for the kids. 

I found a can of red paint and started repairing and painting some old toys. Then I hid them in the basement so there would be something for Santa to deliver on Christmas morning.

Clothes were a worry too. I was sewing patches on top of patches on the boys pants and soon they would be too far gone to repair. 

On Christmas Eve the usual customers were drinking coffee in the Big Wheel. There were the truckers, Le s, Frank, and Jim, and a state trooper named Joe. 

A few musicians were hanging around after a gig at the Legion and were dropping nickels in the pinball machine. 

The regulars all just sat around and talked through the w ee hours of the morning and then left to get home before the sun came up. 

When it was time for me to go home at seven o'clock on Christmas morning, to my amazement, my old battered Chevy was filled full to the top with boxes of all shapes and sizes.

 

I quickly opened the driver's side door, crawled inside and kneeled in the front facing the back seat.

 

Reaching back, I pulled off the lid of the top box. 

Inside was whole case of little blue jeans, sizes 2-10! 
I looked inside another box: It was full of shirts to go with  

the jeans.

 

Then I peeked inside some of the other boxes. There was candy and nuts and bananas and bags of groceries. There was an enormous ham for baking, and canned vegetables and potatoes. 
There was pudding and Jell-O and cookies, pie filling and flour. There was whole bag of laundry supplies and cleaning items. 

And there were five toy trucks and one beautiful little doll.

As I drove back through empty streets as the sun slowly rose on the most am azing Christmas Day of my life, I was sobbing with gratitude. 

And I will never forget the joy on the faces of my little ones that precious morning.

Yes, there were angels in Indiana that long-ago December. And they all hung out at the Big Wheel truck stop.... 

THE POWER OF PRAYER. I believe that God only gives three answers to prayer:

1. 'Yes!'
2. 'Not yet.' 
3. 'I have something better in mind.'

God still sits on the throne, the devil is a liar. 

You maybe going through a tough time right n ow but God is getting ready to bless you in a way that you cannot imagine. 

This prayer is powerful, and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards 

Let's continue to pray for one another. Here is the prayer:....

Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and email buddies reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. 
Amen.

Oh my...where to begin.

I don't want to come on here and give more grief to the poor family who lost thier child a few days ago, but, I feel that there alot of people who just don't get it.

This incident was a horrible accident. 

Not something that the child, the family, nor the officer were expecting in thier lives for that evening.

I, don't understand how anyone can come onto a blog site where, evidentally, family and friends of this child have had the ability to read some of the very cruel things that are being said.

Who lives in a perfect world where child has never disobeyed a parent?

IMO, the more perfect you think your pretty little world is, the more skeletons that your kid has in it's closet.  Same goes for the adults.

Why sit here and judge this family and point the finger at them if you dont' even know them?

A few weeks ago, I blogged about a friend of mine that was hit from behind while riding his bike to work, and the exact same perfect people that think this family was at fault blamed my friend for his accident.

Even though, the boy who hit him from BEHIND was speeding.  50 mph in a 35 mph zone.

What were the excuses then?  Biker riders are a nuisense is what most of these "perfect world people" said.

Didn't blame the kid who hit him from behind so hard that it shred the back tire and his helmet because he hit the windshield so hard and instantly broke his kneck.

I seriously hope and pray that nothing ever happens to anyone of your children or family members and you have to read or hear such things as these families had to.

Who knows.....God works in mysterious ways.

But, I seriously think alot of you need a reality check and come on down to the real world of accidents and stop pointing the one finger at others when you have 3 pointing right back at you.

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day
to say "I love you,"
And certainly there's another chance
to say our "Anything I can do?"

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.

1. If you feel far away from God, guess who moved?

   2. Fear knocked. Faith answered. No one was there.

   3. What you are is God's Gift to you. What you become is your gift to God.

   4. I am God's Melody of Life and He Sings His Song through me.

   5. We can never really go where God is not, and where He is, all is well.

   6. No matter what is happening in your life, know that God is Waiting for you with open Arms.

   7. God Promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

   8. Do your best and then sleep in peace. God is Awake.

   9. God has a Purpose and Plan for me that no one else can fulfill.

   10. The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not protect you.

   11. We are responsible for the effort, not the outcome.

   12. We set the sail; God makes the wind.

   13. Begin to weave and God will Give you the thread.

   14. When God says "no", it's because He has something better in store for you.

   15. The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.

   16. Prayer: don't bother to give God instructions, just report for duty.

   17.  It's my business to do God's Business, and it's His Business to take care of my business.

   18. Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.

   19. How come we're always running around looking for God? He's not lost.

   20.  God put me on earth to accomplish a number of things; right now, I'm so far behind I will live forever.

 

I have a list of folks I know.
All written in a book,
And every now and then
I go and take a look.

That is when I realize
These names... they are a part,
Not of the book they're written in
But taken from the heart.

For each Name stands for someone
Who has crossed my path sometime,
And in that meeting they have become
The reason and the rhyme.

Although it sounds fantastic
For me to make this claim,
I really am composed
Of each remembered name.

Although you're not aware
Of any special link,
Just knowing you, has shaped my life
More than you could think.

So please don't think my greeting
As just a mere routine,
Your name was not
Forgotten in between.

For when I send a greeting
That is addressed to you,
It is because you're on the list
Of folks I'm indebted to.

So whether I have known you
For many days or few,
In some ways you have a part
In shaping things I do.

I am but a total
Of many folks I've met,
You are a friend I would prefer
Never to forget.

Author Unknown

 

When I'm an old lady, I'll live with each kid,
And bring so much happiness ... just as they did.
I want to pay back all the joy they've provided.
Returning each deed! Oh, they'll be so excited!
When I'm an old lady and live with my kids.

I'll write on the walls with reds, whites and blues,
And I'll bounce on the furniture, wearing my shoes.
I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out.
I'll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they'll shout!
When I'm an old lady and live with my kids.

When they're on the phone and just out of reach,
I'll get into things like sugar and bleach.
Oh, they'll snap their fingers and then shake their head,
When I'm an old lady and live with my kids.

When they cook dinner and call me to eat,
I'll not eat my green beans or salad or meat,
I'll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,
And when they get angry... I'll run ... if I'm able!
When I'm an old lady and live with my kids.

I'll sit close to the TV, through the channels I'll click,
I'll cross both eyes just to see if they stick.
I'll take off my socks and throw one away,
And play in the mud until the end of the day!
When I'm an old lady and live with my kids.

And later in bed, I'll lay back and sigh,
I'll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes.
My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping,
And say with a groan, "She's so sweet when she's sleeping!"

Author Unknown

Back2Nature.....this is for you. Thank you for caring and being the person that you are. It means so much to me that you would come around and look for me and check on me. Things have been a little rough...health wise...But, with the good Lords help, things will be better soon. I'm here and there. lol Coming into blogs that are interesting. I guess I lost touch for a while. But, thanks to you, I will return. Here's one of my favorite songs dedicated to you:

 My Sacrafice

Hello my friend we meet again

It's been a while where should we begin

Feels like forever With in my heart a memory

A perfect love that you gave to me

 Oh I remember

When you are with me I'm free

 I'm careless I believe

Above all the others we'll fly

this brings tears to my eyes

My sacrifice

We've seen our share of ups and downs

Oh how quickly life can turn around

In an instant It feels so good to reunite

Within yourself and within your mind

Lets find peace there

When you are with me I'm free

I'm careless I believe

Above all the others we'll fly this brings tears to my eyes

My sacrifice

I just want to say hello again

I just want to say hello again

When you are with me I'm free

I'm careless I believe

Above all the others we'll fly this brings tears to my eyes

My sacrifice

 

Bless you and see you soon!

FINALLY!!!!!  RAIN!!!! 

Thank you Jesus for this beautiful weather!

I just love it when it rains!  I love a day of steady rainfall.

(I said a day!)

My indoor plants are all outside soaking it up and my grass is so happy!!!

I don't know if many of you heard of the story of the cyclist who was killed in Richardson at the intersection of Greenville Ave. and Arapaho.

A teenager, age not released, driving a pickup clipped the cyclists bike from behind because he said he was blinded by the sun.  Yet, he was crossing an intersection.  And, this cyclist was hit hard enough to throw him into the pickups windshield and shatter his helmet to shreds.  Yes, shreds.  Killing him instantly.

Well, this gentleman, cyclist, father, uncle and son, was friend of ours.  He and his family own an establishment that has been in Richardson for years and brings lots of people together.

He rode his bike every single morning to work.  Never had an issue. 

Now, he is dead.

Police are not sure that there will be any charges filed.  The scene and time of day are being investigated as well as talking to witnesses.

His back tire was all mangled up and his helmet torn to pieces and the trucks windshield shows a major sign of where Anthony's head hit.

What are your thoughts?

What do you think of the reason given for "clipping" this cyclist.  Our friend?

Please........leave comments.

Well, I guess it has been a while for me since I have been on Faith Blogs.

Well, I have been working on prayers for myself and my family.

Too many things going on at one time that, shamefully, I have not stopped to count my blessing recently.

I have recently been ill with lots of things going on...found out I'm borderline diabetic, have to go to nutrition classes, high blood sugar and all that other good stuff that goes with it.

And, lots of other health issues amoung that one.

But, all in all, I still have to stop and thank my beautiful God up above for what I do have......

A supportive and loving family and friends.

Too many meds, too many Dr.'s appts, and not enough time to soak it all in at once.

But, I still have to stop and pray because I still have my family to look after.

I know that He will not give me more than I can handle.  So, I will carry what has been put on my shoulders, knowing that He is right there with me.....Helping me while I work to lift the weight and make it lighter.

 

 

 

LOL......I can just hear it now...........

***************

MIAMI (AFP) - A Florida judge has deemed unconstitutional a law banning baggy pants that show off the wearer's underwear, local media reported Tuesday.

A 17-year-old spent a night in jail last week after police arrested him for wearing low pants in Riviera Beach, southeast Florida.

The law banning so-called "saggy pants" was approved by city voters in March after supporters of the bill collected nearly 5,000 signatures to put the measure on the ballot.

The teen would have received a 150 dollars fine or community service, but he spent the night in jail due to a history of marijuana use, the Palm Beach Post newspaper said.

"Somebody help me," said Palm Beach Circuit Judge Paul Moyle, before giving his decision.

"We're not talking about exposure of buttocks. No! We're talking about someone who has on pants whose underwear are apparently visible to a police officer who then makes an arrest and the basis is he's then held overnight, no bond."

"Your honor, we now have the fashion police," added public defender Carol Bickerstaff, who asked the law be declared "unconstitutional."

The judge agreed with Bickerstaff immediately, reported the Post.

Laws that ban low-slung pants are on the books in several US cities, including Delcambre, Louisiana, where offenders can be fined up to 500 dollars or jailed for up to six months.

Dallas, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia are among the larger US cities considering similar measures.

I received this today in an email and wanted to share it.............

Read on, please..............

 

Sentence of Reid

 

......

Remember the guy who got on a plane with a bomb built into his shoe and tried to light it?

 

 

Did you know his trial is over?

 

Did you know he was sentenced?

 

Did you see/hear any of the judge's comments on TV or Radio?

 

Didn't think so.

 

 

 

Everyone should hear what the judge had to say.

 

 

Ruling by Judge William Young, US District C ourt.

 

 

Prior to sentencing, the Judge asked the defendant if he

 

had anything to say. His response: After admitting his guilt to the court for the record, Reid also admitted his 'allegiance to Osama bin Laden, to Islam, and to the religion of Allah,' defiantly stating, 'I think I will not apologize for my actions,' and told the court 'I am at war with your country.'

 

Judge Young then delivered the statement quoted below:

 

 

January 30, 2003, United States vs. Reid. Judge Young:

 

 

'Mr. Richard C. Reid, hearken now to the sentence the Court imposes upon you.

 

 

On counts 1, 5 and 6 the Court sentences you to life in prison in the custody of the United States Attorney General. On counts 2, 3, 4 and 7, the Court sentences you to 20 years in prison on each count, the sentence on each count to run consecutively. (That's 80 years.)

 

On count 8 the Court sentences you to the mandatory 30 years again, to be served consecutively to the 80 years just imposed. The Court imposes upon you for each of the eight counts a fine of $250,000 that's an aggregate fine of $2 million. The Court accepts the government's recommendation with respect to restitution and orders restitution in the amount of $298.17 to Andre Bousquet and $5,784 to American Airlines.

 

The Court imposes upon you an $800 special assessment.

 

The Court imposes upon you five years supervised release simply because the law requires it. But the life sentences are real life sentences so I need go no further.

 

This is the sentence that is provided for by our statutes. It is a fair and just sentence. It is a righteous sentence.

 

 

Now, let me explain this to you We are not afraid of you or any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid. We are Americans. We have been through the fire before. There is too much war talk here and I say that to everyone with the utmost respect. Here in this court, we deal with individuals as individuals and care for individuals as individuals. As human beings, we reach out for justice.

 

You are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a soldier, gives you far too much stature. Whether the officers of government do it or your attorney does it, or if you think you are a soldier. You are not----- you are a terrorist. And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not meet with terrorists. We do not sign documents with terrorists. We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice.

 

So war talk is way out of line in this court. You are a big fellow. But you are not that big. You're no warrior. I've known warriors. You are a terrorist. A species of criminal that is guilty of multiple attempted murders. In a very real sense, State Trooper Santiago had it right when you first were taken off that plane and into custody and you wondered where the press and the TV crews were, and he said: 'You're no big deal.'

 

You are no big deal.

 

 

What your able counsel and what the equally able United States attorneys have grappled with and what I have as honestly as I know how tried to grapple with, is why you did something so horrific. What was it that led you here to this courtroom today?

 

I have listened respectfully to what you have to say. And I ask you to search your heart and ask yourself what sort of unfathomable hate led you to do what you are guilty and admit you are guilty of doing? And, I have an answer for you. It may not satisfy you, but as I search this entire record, it comes as close to understanding as I know.

 

It seems to me you hate the one thing that to us is most precious. You hate our freedom. Our individual freedom. Our individual freedom to live as we choose, to come and go as we choose, to believe or not believe as we individually choose. Here, in this society, the very wind carries freedom. It carries it everywhere from sea to shining sea. It is because we prize individual freedom so much that you are here in this beautiful courtroom. So that everyone can see, truly see, that justice is administered fairly, individually, and discretely. It is for freedom's sake that your lawyers are striving so vigorously on your behalf, have filed appeals, will go on in their representation of you before other judges.

 

We Americans are all about freedom. Because we all know that the way we treat you, Mr. Reid, is the measure of our own liberties. Make no mistake though. It is yet true that we will bear any burden; pay any price, to preserve our freedoms. Look around this courtroom. Mark it well. The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here. The day after tomorrow, it will be forgotten, but this, however, will long endure.

 

Here in this courtroom and courtrooms all across America

, the American people will gather to see that justice, individual justice, justice, not war, individual justice is in fact being done. The very President of the United States through his officers will have to come into courtrooms and lay out evidence on which specific matters can be judged and juries of citizen s will gather to sit and judge that evidence democratically, to mold and shape and refine our sense of justice. < /B>

See that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America . That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag stands for freedom. And it always will.

Mr. Custody Officer. Stand him down.

 

 

So, how much of this Judge's comments did we hear on our TV sets? We need more judges like Judge Young, but that's another subject. Pass this around. Everyone should and needs to hear what this fine judge had to say. Powerful words that strike home. God bless America

 

 

Please forward this----------so that every American has a chance to read it.