A group of men commit a horrible mass murder. Still others helped in the planning of the murder. Law enforcement apprehends the surviving individuals allegedly involved in this horrible crime. A trial is to take place in the city where this mass murder occurred, which gives the surviving victims and the families of those killed a chance to witness justice for their loved ones.
Unless of course you live in nowhere- near -the -scene -of -the- crime, US; read the Wall Street Journal editorial pages, and watch Fox News. Then bringing the alleged plotters to justice is far too scary.
Such is the reaction of the far right to the news that the alleged plotters involved in the 9/11 attacks will be tried in a court of law and in NYC - the city in which this mass murder took place.
Front and center in the ridiculous outrage is Rep John Boehner (R-OH):
"House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio) says the Obama administration is putting "liberal special interests before the safety and security of the American people" in deciding to bring the 9/11 mastermind to the United States for trial in federal civilian court."
Boehner lived in Ohio during the attacks and still lives in Ohio. Unless geography has drastically changed and I missed an important event in which Ohio somehow merged with New York, then Boehner's reaction is entirely unwelcome.
A crime was committed in NYC, NY. The victims of that crime and the families of those killed want justice. The alleged plotters of that crime are to be tried in the city where the crime was committed, bringing closure to a city attacked and to the victims and families of that attack. How is Ohio in any way related to this situation?
If the people of New York are okay with allowing the rule of law to hold those who attacked them accountable, then why is a congressman from another state so outraged? Moreover, the rule of law is what this country is based on. Would Boehner prefer we do it is the Soviet way - simply disappear the suspects? Well, the Bush administration tried that and look how well such a move was received by the American people in particular and the world over in general.
Let me put this another way, below is a view of my neighborhood in NYC, where I lived in the Financial District. The photo was taken a few weeks after the 9/11 attack:
This is my horror and this is my nightmare. If I am not remotely frightened of bringing these men to justice, why is Boehner? Moreover, what right does Boehner have to tell me that I don't deserve justice for the loss of my neighbors and friends? Two people I lost were a young couple who lived across the hall from me. We became very good friends and new each other for a few years. They went to work on 9/11 and never came home again. Who is Boehner to tell me or the families of those two wonderful people that we cannot have justice?
The Truth of It
Or perhaps he is not actually frightened of the suspected terrorists themselves? Perhaps what Boehner and other Republicans are really frightened of is the truth that will come out during the trials? Just think of the world coverage of these trials and consider how the facts might make Congressional Republicans look after the eight years they spent supporting every Bush administration policy.
Think of the evidence that will be presented, flimsy in some cases. Think of the tortured confessions. Think of the possibility that because of the Bush administration's war on terror policies, some of these men might actually walk free, rather than be held to account. So much for the only platform the GOP has to sell to its constituents - national security.
The dim-witted, bigoted, and uber-nationalistic will of course parrot the fear talking points because they don't know any better or if they do, they don't much care for either justice or truth. But their leaders in the GOP know exactly what they are doing.
They are hoping to deny NYC justice in order to save the GOP from accountability for their own failed and illegal policies - policies which are not remotely effective in fighting terrorism.
Glenn Greenwald approaches this issue from another perspective, which I urge you to read.
