Cross-posted from The Random Yak

Note and disclaimer: Don’t blame The Real Ugly American for this one. I don’t know where he’d stand on this issue and whether he’d agree with what I’ve written below. These represent the personal views of The Random Yak and not necessarily those of The Real Ugly American, for whom I’m guest blogging while he’s out of town. I hesitated before posting here, lest TRUA disagree with my words and lest anyone else who disagrees causes his blog to suffer the fallout of my opinion. But I ultimately decided that censoring honest speech presents a bigger threat than any hurt feelings the blogosphere can possibly offer. So link, comment, rant, rave and call me what you will, but do me a favor, please, and don’t shoot the one who brought in the messenger.

(Post titled in response to the CNN afternoon headline which screamed “Moussaoui: America, You Lost.”)

The federal jury responsible for sentencing convicted terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui returned a verdict this afternoon: life in prison.

The jury had only two choices when sentencing Moussaoui, life in prison or death by lethal injection.

Many voices in the blogosphere and elsewhere will doubtless cry out this evening - on the right, calling for a terrorist to die, on the left, claiming the verdict “sends a message” to the right (though most likely without an adequate explanation about precisely what that message happens to say). On at least one level, I have to admit that I agree with them, and that (assuming this excuse for a human being did what he’s accused of doing) I’d have loved to see the jury condemn Moussaoui to death - in ways far more painful and unpleasant than death by lethal injection.

But after considering the situation I’m going to take a different tack this time.

Thank you, men and women of the jury, for refusing to create another martyr to the Islamist cause.

If Moussaoui claims America “lost” today he doesn’t understand the message this jury sent, or the strength it may have taken for them to send it.

No citizen of the United States, and probably no rational person living, can watch footage of the 9/11 attacks without experiencing a range of emotional reactions, many of which have hardened over time into a near-crystallized rage and hatred for the “kind of person who could do such a thing.” Whether or not Moussaoui actually participated in these attacks, the fact that he claims association and loudly proclaims his love for terrorist principles and his willingness to “kill Americans, any time, anywhere,” makes him a living representation of precisely that person. And the fact that a jury had the opportunity (figuratively, if not literally) to put him to death but chose not to do so means that the individuals charged with punishing Moussaoui for his crimes chose to sentence him on some basis other than their emotional reaction to what everyone agrees amounts to an unspeakably awful event.

It also means they deprived him of the martyred status he - and the rest of the terrorist world - would have truly loved.

“Victory” for the truly committed Islamic terrorist constitutes winning a position in paradise (with all its made-up alleged carnal benefits) by killing himself in the act of jihad or otherwise honorably dying in the service of holy war against the infidel. Had the jury sentenced Moussaoui to die “for his crimes” he - and others like him - could have held him aloft as a (formerly) living example of the Great Holy Warrior, a man willing and able to earn a position in heaven by giving his life for the cause.

Instead, Moussaoui will grow old in prison - likely in solitary confinement - as a living example of what really happens to terrorists. They grow old, they die, and they go to meet their prophet in a place deserving of neither glory nor honor.

I have no hope that prison will reform Moussaoui, though I am willing to pray that the LORD takes pity upon him and shows him the error of his ways. Barring divine intervention, it is likely that this man will live - and die - consumed by hatred and deceived into believing that his false prophet will really reward him for his evil acts.

But his life behind bars won’t be nearly as inspiring to the next generation as his “honorable death” would have been. Whether or not a teenager can believe he’d be better off as a dead man enjoying the services of heavenly virgins, it’s fairly clear few teens would consider a life behind bars an attractive career move, so at least for now Moussaoui’s off the “role model” list for anyone clinging to even a modicum of rationality.

Would I mourn Moussaoui if the jury had sentenced him to death? Nope.

Do I think he deserves to die? If he really did what he’s accused of, yes I do - and as I mentioned earlier, I think lethal injection’s too good for someone who’d do the things Islamic terrorists do.

Will my friends in the blogosphere and beyond agree with my position? Probably not. (Updated: definitely not. Fortunately we can agree to disagree.)

But one thing I know for sure: the Islamic cause needs another martyr like the United States needs another 9/11, and I’m glad they’re not getting one today.

Update: 05/03/2006 22:04PST: By now I’m well aware I’m one of a precious few taking this stand, and I’d like to make a couple of things very clear. I support the death penalty. I’m not against executing all terrorists on “don’t make a martyr” grounds - but in this particular case I think the jury made the right choice. I also think this is an issue upon which reasonable people can differ and I respect and defend (to the death) their rights to differ from me and to speak their minds on the subject. That’s why I’ve linked to opposing views rather than echoes of my own thoughts.

Linked to others disagreeing with me discussing the topic at Don Surber (who definitely disagrees with my position, and I have to admit his position makes a lot of sense), Wizbang, Michelle Malkin, Hot Air (post, appropriately, brought to you by Allahpundit) and Sigmund Carl and Alfred.